Worlds Collide, Heroes Unite
by Raptor2216
Summary: 7th Story of the Worlds Collide series. In the aftermath of the Decimation, Barry, Oliver, and the Avengers struggle to cope with their failure. However, when Nora & Stephen arrive from the future, they bring with them a new sense of hope. Now, heroes from across the multiverse & across time will unite to try to regain the Infinity Stones, reverse the Decimation, and defeat Thanos.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everybody. It's finally here. My Endgame story. I know I said it would probably be a while, but as has happened to me before, I kinda got the inspiration I needed overnight, and once I sat down to really plan this story out, it just came to me. I initially wanted to wait a bit to leave some time between the completion of _Avengers of the Future_ and the posting of this. But, once I planned out the story, I couldn't help but start writing it. Plus, I start school again in a week and a half, and I won't have as much time to write once I do. SO, I decided to get this started.**

**I know you all have been particularly excited for this one. I have gotten more reviews about this story than any other. I hope I can deliver on everybody's expectations.**

**Now, this story will be the end of my MACU Phase 1. I kinda plan to write the MACU in phases like the MCU, and end each phase with a big team-up story against a major villain. I'm haven't planned too many stories beyond this yet, and definitely haven't planned out Phase 2 yet, so once this story is completed, it'll probably be a while before the first story of Phase 2 starts. And before you ask, no, I haven't decided how many Phases the MACU will have. But probably at least 4.**

**Also, this story is only going to be partially based off Endgame. Parts of it will be nearly identical, others will be completely different. I am not going to give any big spoilers, so don't bother asking for them.**

**Finally, quick FYI. Since Batman may be in this, I will be referring to him as Bruce and Bruce Banner as Banner.**

**Alright. Let's finally get it started.**

* * *

Chapter 1- Back to the Facility

Over the Atlantic Ocean, air traffic has ceased. It's been just two hours since Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half the population of the universe. Since people began disintegrating, which caused several plane crashes, all aircraft across the world, including military, have been grounded until further notice. All except one.

Halfway between Africa and North America, the Quinjet is on its way back to the New Avengers Facility in New York. On board are the heroes who survived, including Rocket and Oliver. After the battle, Steve decided it was better to return to the Facility so they could monitor the unfolding situation. Back in Wakanda, Okoye and M'Baku together had taken the reigns to run the country.

On the Quinjet, the team is in shambles. Rhodey is trying to remain calm as he pilots the aircraft. In the back, Natasha is watching a computer screen, trying to find out if anyone else they know has been disintegrated. The rest of the team is spread throughout the jet.

In one of the seats, Barry is slumped over, feeling pretty much numb to the world. Ever since he got on the Quinjet, he has hardly moved, and hasn't spoken. All he can think of is the sight of his wife disintegrating before his eyes. Tears won't even flow. He is just completely in a daze.

Finally, he feels someone sit down next to him. It doesn't snap him out of it. It's not until he finally feels a hand on his arm that he manages to look up, and sees Oliver sitting next to him.

"Barry?" Oliver asks simply. He doesn't want to ask how Barry's feeling, or say everything will be okay. He just wants to get Barry talking.

Barry sits there in silence for a few moments before saying softly, and in a broken voice, "What am I gonna do, Oliver? She's my wife. Nora and Stephen's mother. How am I supposed to go forward? How am I supposed to raise my son and daughter without their mother?"

"I don't know, Barry. I don't know," Oliver responds simply.

"Steve!" Natasha cries out, drawing Steve out of a daze of his own. He stands up and walks over to her, asking, "What is it?"

"I just found something. Someone filed a report saying that they saw someone matching a description of Fury in Manhattan," Natasha says. That bit of information draws everybody's attention.

"What?!" Steve exclaims.

"Yeah. I'm pulling up traffic cam footage of the spot where he was spotted," Natasha says. Steve sits down next to her. A few moments later, the video footage pops up. Natasha and Steve watch as a black SUV pulls up behind a crashed car, and Maria Hill and Fury both climb out. Hill checks out the crashed guy, and then they see people start disintegrating. Then, Hill disintegrates.

Natasha and Steve watch as Fury watches the unfolding sight, then turns and runs back to his SUV. He reaches into the SUV and pulls out something. He walks around behind the SUV, and then starts to disintegrate, but not before dropping what he's holding.

"Pause. Zoom in one that object," Steve says. Natasha nods and does what he says. The resulting picture is a bit blurry.

"Can you enhance it?" Steve asks.

"Give me a minute," Natasha says. Steve watches intently as Natasha works to enhance the image. Finally, they get an image of an old style pager.

Steve waits for a moment before calling out, "Rhodey, take us to Manhattan! We need to get this pager Fury had on him before he disintegrated. It was clearly important. I want to find out why."

Rhodey just nods and alters course slightly, now heading towards Manhattan.

* * *

(Hours later, New Avengers Facility)

Steve and Natasha stare at the monitors. It's been a few hours since Steve and Natasha found the footage of Fury disintegrating. Since then, they made their detour to Manhattan and picked up the pager Fury had dropped. They had found it lying undisturbed in the street, with the screen dominated by an image of a gold star set between blue and red. Thor and Rocket both said it looked similar to a star symbol used by the Kree, a powerful alien race. But nobody who knew Fury could see him trying to signal a race like the Kree, especially when Thor and Rocket told them that the Kree were a very war-like race who were known as conquerors. They determined that the pager had to be signaling someone, or something, else.

The team had left Manhattan immediately after obtaining the pager and completed their journey back to the Facility. Immediately after arriving at the Facility, Steve had ordered that the pager be plugged in to keep it running and keep the signal continuously broadcasting.

Steve, Natasha, and Oliver are in one of the meeting rooms, watching holographic displays that are showing the estimated casualty counts coming in from across the world. Barry has wandered off by himself, saying he wanted to see Pietro. Rhodey and Banner is watching the pager. Meanwhile, Rocket and Thor have all gone off on their own.

"This is a nightmare," Steve says as he watches the casualty counts continue to come in.

"I've had better nightmares," Natasha says.

"And I thought the Undertaking was bad," Oliver mutters under his breath.

Right then, Rhodey walks into the room. "Hey, so…that thing stopped doing whatever the h*** it was doing," he says.

Natasha, Oliver, and Steve follow him to a containment alcove, where Banner is monitoring the pager. "What do we got?" Steve asks.

"Well, whatever signal it was sending out finally crapped out," Banner responds.

"I thought we bypassed the battery?" Steve asks.

"We did. It's still plugged in. It just stopped," Rhodey responds.

Steve is quiet for a moment before saying, "Reboot it. Send the signal again."

"Hey, we don't even know what this is," Banner says in warning.

"Fury did," Natasha says, pausing for a split second before continuing, "Tell me the second you get a signal. I want to know who's on the other end of this thing."

Natasha turns around to walk back to the room they were just in, but stops a second later as she sees a woman right in front of her. Looking to be a little younger than Natasha, the woman has long blonde hair, and is wearing a uniform in the same colors as the symbol they saw on the pager. The woman looks right at Natasha before asking, "Where's Fury?"

Everyone just stares at this woman for a few moments. Finally, Oliver, clutching his bow tightly and ready to reach for an arrow, demands, "Who are you?"

"My name is Carol Danvers. Some people call me Captain Marvel. But that's beside the point. Where is Fury?" she demands.

They're all quiet for a few more moments before Natasha finally says, "He's dead. He disintegrated when Thanos snapped his fingers."

Carol is quiet for a few moments. Then, she asks, "Thanos got the Infinity Stones?"

"Yes. You've heard of him?" Banner asks.

"Most of the universe has. I've been travelling the universe for over twenty years, so yeah, I've heard about him," Carol responds.

Again, there's quiet. Then, all of a sudden, Barry races up in a flash of lightning. "Guys!" he says loudly before noticing Carol. He looks her over a bit before saying, "Umm, hi."

Carol just looks at him. After a moment, Barry returns his attention to Steve and the others, looking very stressed. "Guys! Pietro is gone!" he says, clearly distressed.

They all look at each other, stunned that Pietro is gone too. Barry is starting to cry again. "First my wife, now her brother," he says. Oliver quickly moves forward and puts his arm around Barry before leading him out of the room.

The others stare after them before looking back at Carol.

"We need to talk," Steve says.

* * *

(Conference room)

"And then he just snapped his fingers. And that's when everyone got dusted," Natasha says.

Carol just slowly nods. She had told them a bit about her, including telling about her powers, and then they had told her about the struggle for the Infinity Stones.

"Where's Thanos?" Carol asks.

"We don't know," Steve responds.

"So, I need to ask you. You can travel in space on your own?" Rhodey asks.

"Yes," Carol responds, wondering where he's going with this.

Rhodey looks at everybody else and says, "Tony."

Steve, Natasha, and Banner realize what Rhodey's thinking. Steve looks at Carol and says, "Danvers, one of our teammates got taken by one of Thanos' servants, along with two other people. We have no idea where he is. Is there any way you can look for him?"

Carol looks at the two of them before saying, "Sure. I can try. What does he look like?"

Rhodey pulls out his phone, pulling up a photo of Tony. Carol studies it for a moment, then nods. "Alright. I'll look for him. It may be a while before I find him. Until then, just sit tight." She then quickly turns and walks out of the room to go start looking for Tony.

Everyone sits there quietly for a minute. Then, Steve stands up and says, "Alright. We're not gonna let this stand. We have to find Thanos. Let's get started. Anything we do to find him. We may not have been able to protect the Earth. But we'll sure as h*** avenge it."

* * *

**I'll end there.**

**I hope this was a decent start. I know it probably wasn't as exciting as you were hoping for. But, this was necessary to get it started. Next chapter will be better, and will feature a surprise.**

**Also, just to let you know. If you haven't already, I'd recommend reading my story _Avengers of the Future_. Some things in this story may not make total sense if you don't read that. It's not totally necessary to read it, but it'll help some things make sense.**

**Alright. That's it for now. Please review, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2- The Wolverine

**Hey, everybody. I am back with another chapter.**

**Wow, I am floored by the reaction I've already gotten to this story. You guys are the best, and the main reason I write.**

**Well, I think from the chapter title that it's a bit obvious what part of this chapter will be about. I hope you're ready for it.**

**Let's get to it.**

**Guest**: Pietro actually won't show up for a few chapters.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Wolverine

It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth. Twenty three days since half the universe was wiped out of existence.

At the New Avengers Facility, Oliver is standing in the common area. He's long since changed out of his new armor into simple jeans and a green T-shirt. He's reviewing over the space scans they conducted just a few hours ago. So far, they've had no real promising leads.

"Hey." Oliver turns around and sees Natasha approaching him. Ever since they got back to the Facility, he and Natasha have gotten to be friends. As they initially got to know each other, Oliver found that he had more similarities with Natasha than any of the other Avengers.

"Hey," Oliver responds simply.

"Anything?" she asks.

"Nothing. At least, nothing that clearly looks like Thanos," Oliver responds.

Natasha nods as she looks over the displays. Then, she turns to Oliver and asks, "How's Barry?"

Oliver sighs a bit. "Same as usual. Just lying on the couch in a daze," he says. He then sighs again and says, "I'm really worried about him. All this loss may just be too much for him."

"Yeah, I know," Natasha responds.

The two stand there in silence for a few moments. Then, before either of them can say anything more, the building suddenly starts to shake. The two look at the ceiling, then at each other. Then, together, they turn and hurry out of the Facility.

Within a few minutes, the two of them are running outside with Steve, Rhodey, Rocket, and Banner. Pepper is already outside. Together they all watch as a large spaceship descends from the sky, being carried by Carol. They watch as she slowly lowers to the ground, setting the ship down gently.

Steve hurries forward as the ramp lowers, and Tony walks down it, assisted by Nebula. Steve hurries up and grabs hold of Tony. Nebula lets him go, and Steve helps Tony the rest of the way down the ramp. As they walk down the ramp, Tony mutters, "I couldn't stop him."

"Neither could I," Steve responds.

Tony then stops Steve. He looks at his old friend and says in a tone of despair, "I lost the kid."

Knowing who Tony means, Steve is quiet for a moment before saying, "Tony, we lost."

The two are quiet for a moment before Tony asks, "Is, umm…" However his question is cut off when Pepper hurries over and embraces Tony. The two remain in that embrace for a few moments before separating, and the group all heads inside, with Pepper and Steve supporting Tony. Rocket, however, remains outside with Nebula for a little while, trying to take comfort in her as he now knows that the rest of his team, his family, is gone.

* * *

The entire team has gathered in one of the living rooms. Well, most of the team. Thor is still brooding in a room just off the living room, and Barry is sitting in the corner in an armchair, roused by the arrival of Tony, but still feeling very depressed and not really part of the conversation.

Tony has been checked out and hooked up to an IV, and is now sitting in a wheelchair. As he wheels into the room to join the team, he sees Barry in the corner and asks, "What's wrong with Allen?"

"His wife and brother in law both got dusted," Oliver responds.

Tony looks at Oliver, just now recognizing him as somebody he doesn't know, while at the same time feeling a wave of pity for Barry. "And who are you?" he asks.

"Oliver Queen. The Green Arrow. I'm Barry's friend from Earth-1," Oliver responds.

"What're you doing here?" Tony asks.

"Not important. We'll discuss that later," Oliver says to draw attention back to the meeting.

Rhodey speaks up. "It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth," he says as images of various people important to the team who were dusted pop up in front of them.

"World governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census, and it looks like…he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out…fifty percent of all living creatures," Natasha says.

Heavy silence reigns for a few moments before Tony speaks up and asks, "Where is he now? Where?"

"We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through," Steve responds.

Tony sighs and looks around, noticing Thor. "What's wrong with him?" Tony asks.

"He's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which, I mean, he did, but there's a lot of that going around," Rocket answers.

Tony looks at Rocket, partially in amazement, and says, "Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were Build-a-Bear."

"Maybe I am," Rocket replies.

Oliver looks Tony over. He has a strange feeling about Tony. He can tell the man wants to do good, but at the same time reminds Oliver of himself before the island. He's not quite sure how to feel about the man.

Steve continues to speak. "We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him."

He intends to follow that up with a question, but Tony interrupts him and asks, "Who told you that?" He pauses for a second before continuing, "I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight, 'cause he's not beatable."

"Did he give you any clues? Any coordinates? Anything?" Steve asks.

Tony just splutters a bit and makes a few hand gestures to show he's got nothing on Thanos. He then says, "I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn't want to believe it. Thought I was dreaming."

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus," Steve pushes a bit.

But this is too much for Tony, who turns to Steve and says, "And I needed you. As in, past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late, buddy."

He then looks up and says, "You know what? I need a shave." He stands up and shoves several items across the table, now clearly angry. He then pulls out his IV despite Rhodey's protests as he says, "And I remember telling all youse that what we needed was a suit of armor around the world. Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not. That's what we needed."

"Well, that didn't work out, did it?" Steve asks.

"I said we'd lose. And you said 'We'll do that together too'. Well, we lost. And you weren't there," Tony says sharply.

Oliver, having lost his patience with Tony, and having heard all about the Accords situation from Natasha, now speaks up and harshly says, looking right at him, "And whose fault is that?"

Everyone's eyes are drawn to Oliver. Even Barry looks up from his chair and looks over at Oliver, surprised at this outburst.

Oliver looks at Tony harshly before saying, "Who was it that created Ultron? Who was it that supported the Accords when they contained some less than humane principles? And who was it that drove Steve away? You. Steve had to go into hiding and couldn't help you because of you, Stark."

Tony glares back at Oliver, but internally, feels extremely guilty, knowing Oliver is telling the truth. He takes a few steps towards Oliver as he says, "You don't know anything, Queen. You….you know…" He then collapses to his knees.

"Tony!" Steve says as he worries Tony's about to pass out.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Tony insists. Right before he passes out at Carol's feet.

Carol and Steve quickly pick Tony up and carry him to the med bay. Banner goes with them and starts checking Tony over. Everyone else clears out except Pepper and Rhodey.

The team waits for a few minutes before Rhodey comes out of the med bay.

"Bruce gave him a sedative. He's gonna probably be out for the rest of the day," he says.

"You guys take care of him. And I'll bring him a Xorrian elixir when I come back," Carol says before she starts walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Steve asks.

"To kill Thanos," she responds simply.

Natasha and Steve look at each other before they, Oliver, and Rhodey all follow Carol. Natasha catches up with her and says, "Hey. You know, we usually work as a team here. And, uh, between you nd me, morale's a little fragile."

"We realize up there is more your territory. But this is our fight too," Steve adds.

"Do you even know where he is?" Rhodey asks.

"I know people who might," Carol responds.

"Don't bother." Everyone turns to look at Nebula, who is standing back in the entrance to the living room. She looks back at them as she says, "I can tell you where Thanos is."

"Good. Then you can tell us so I can give the SOB a taste of my claws."

Everyone looks around, confused where this voice is coming from. Then, in the living room, from behind a wall, a man walks into view beside Nebula, who is looking at him in slight confusion. The man is wearing a navy blue combat suit, and is smoking a cigar. He turns to look at the team, and Steve and Oliver both stare at him in shock.

"Slade?" Oliver asks, because the man standing in front of them looks exactly like Slade Wilson.

The man looks at Oliver. "Who's Slade?" he asks. Oliver just stares at him, realizing this is not his former friend, but a doppelganger.

The man stares at him for a moment before turning to look at Steve and saying, "It's good to see you again, Cap."

"Logan? Is that really you?" Steve asks.

Logan smiles and nods. "Yup. It's me Cap," he responds.

Everyone looks between Logan and Steve. "Wait. Cap, you know this guy?" Rhodey asks.

"Yeah. James Howlett. Or Logan, as we called him. He was in an army unit that I worked with multiple times in the fight against HYDRA, and he was one of the members of the strike force that raided HYDRA's last base back in '45," Steve explains. Then, speaking to Logan, he asks, "How are you still alive?"

Logan grins as he flicks out his cigar and tosses it aside. "You weren't the only one back then with superpowers, Cap," he says. He then lifts his right fist, and three metal claws emerge from his knuckles.

Everyone stares at him in surprise. Logan smirks before saying, "And that's not all. I also heal fast. That's why I'm still alive."

Steve just stares at Logan, hardly able to believe that Bucky isn't his only friend still alive.

Natasha quickly speaks up. "Where did you come from? Why haven't any of us known about you?"

Logan then looks at Oliver and says, "Well, as a matter of fact. I've been held prisoner on a planet called Sakaar for the last 40 years."

Oliver's eyes widen. "Wait. You were the Grandmaster's most important prisoner?" he asks.

"Yeah. Let's just say I got on his bad side quick after getting there," Logan says.

"Wait. Hold on a second. What is Sakaar?" Steve asks.

"A planet. It's basically a collection place from lost things and creatures. When I got pulled from Earth-1, instead of getting dumped here on Earth like Barry, I got dumped on Sakaar. I spent about six months there before I met Thor and he helped me got off the planet," Oliver explains. He then looks at Logan and asks, "How did you end up on Sakaar?"

"I used to work for SHIELD. Peggy Carter approached me back in the late 60s and convinced me to come work for them. I only agreed because I trusted her. I worked for them, or with them I preferred to say, for 8 years. Then, one day in '76, I was at a SHIELD base where they were researching the Tesseract. Let's just say there was an accident, and I ended up getting transported to Sakaar," Logan explains.

Everyone kinda just stares at Logan, still not sure what to think of him. Finally, Logan says, "We can all stand around and chit chat later. For now, we need to focus on Thanos." He turns to Nebula, and says, "So, how about you tell us where we can find Thanos?"

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**So, Logan has finally showed up, and has finally met the Avengers. And yes, he is Slade's doppelganger. So, you finally know who I imagine portraying him. Trust me, it was a hard call to replace Hugh Jackman, but when I thought of the idea of Manu Bennett playing Wolverine, I liked it too much to pass up.**

**Obviously Logan and Cap have a history. I decided to honor the comics storyline of them serving together in WWII, although in this, he wasn't part of the Howling Commandos.**

**I hope I did the introduction of Logan well. I also hope you guys liked my little part with Oliver arguing with Tony, because honestly, I can see Oliver doing that.**

**Well, that's it for now. Next chapter will be up either tomorrow or Monday. Until then, please leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3- Going after Thanos

**Hey, everybody. Back with Chapter 3.**

**This will be where things really start to depart from Endgame's path. You'll see why near the end. Also, this chapter may be a bit shorter than the last two.**

**Let's get to it.**

* * *

Chapter 3- Going after Thanos

"Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me," Nebula says to the team. All of them have gathered to listen to her, even Barry and Thor.

She continues. "And when he worked, he talked about his Great Plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask, 'Where would we go when his plan was complete?' And his answer was always the same." She pauses, then leans up against the table before saying, "To the Garden."

"That's cute. Thanos has a retirement plan," Rhodey says.

"So, where is he exactly?" Oliver asks.

Rocket, who is standing on the table, brings up a holographic display of Earth. "When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. No one's ever seen anything like it. Until two days ago…on this planet," he says. As he finishes, the display shifts to another planet.

Nebula looks around at the team. "Thanos is there," she says.

Natasha leans in closer to the display. "He used the Stones again," she mutters.

"Hey, hey, hey," Banner says nervously before saying, "We'd be going in short handed you know."

Rhodey pipes up. "Looks, he's still got the Stones, so…"

Carol cuts him off. "So, let's get 'em. We can use them to bring everyone back."

"Just like that?" Banner asks skeptically.

"Yeah. Just like that," Steve responds with determination.

"Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this…I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try," Natasha adds.

"If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end any differently than the last time?" Banner asks.

"Because before you didn't have me and Danvers," Logan responds with a bit of a cocky tone.

Rhodey looks at Logan. "Hey, man. Everyone in this room is about that superhero life. And I'm not saying anything against you, but with you," now turning his attention to Carol, "Where the h*** have you been all this time? Why are we only just seeing you now?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe. And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys," Carol responds.

The room is quiet for a second before Thor gets up and walks up to Carol, who turns to look at him. Thor stands right in front of her before summoning Stormbreaker, which flies right past Carol's head and into Thor's hand. Thor stares right into her eyes, but she just smirks at him a bit.

Thor nods a bit as he looks between Carol and Logan, then says, "I like these two."

Right then, Barry gets up from his chair and walks over to the table, a look of determination nobody has seen on his face in a long time. He looks intently at the hologram before saying, "Let's go get this son of a bitch."

* * *

The _Benatar_ streaks up through the Earth's atmosphere. After 5 days of working to repair the ship and get it working again, it is now back to peak performance. And all the Avengers except Tony, joined by Carol, Logan, Nebula, and Rocket, are in the cabin of the ship.

As the _Benatar_ slips free of the Earth's atmosphere, the engines power up as it prepares for a jump. In the cabin, Rocket looks back at everybody and asks, "Okay. Who here hasn't been to space?"

They all look around at each other before Steve, Natasha, and Barry all raise their hands. Rhodey looks confused before raising his hand too, drawing a chuckle from Carol.

"You better not throw up on my ship," Rocket warns.

In one of the two front seats, Nebula calls out, "Approaching jump in three, two, one!" Everyone grabs hold of their armrests as the ship lurches forward with a burst of speed, like a fighter jet going to afterburners. The ship streaks ahead, flying right through a Jump Point. It soon emerges on the other end of the Jump Point, revealing the planet where the use of the Stones was detected.

Within a few seconds, Carol exits the ship through the airlock. "I'll head down for recon," she says over comms before flying down towards the planet.

On board the _Benatar,_ the team waits for Carol to return. All of them feeling very anxious for this. They've gone over their plan dozens of times, but the gravity of the situation is really now starting to hit them. This is it. Their one chance to reverse the effects of the Decimation.

Next to Steve, Natasha glances at him and sees him glancing at his old compass that has a picture of Peggy Carter attached to it. As he closes it, she says, "This is gonna work, Steve."

Steve is quiet for a moment before saying, "I know it is." He then looks at Natasha and says, "Cuz I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't."

A few moments later, Carol comes flying back towards the ship. "No satellites. No ships. No armies. No ground defenses of any kind. It's just him," she says over comms.

"And that's enough," Nebula responds.

Rocket pilots the _Benatar_ down to the ground, and they set down about two miles from a house that is the only sign of habitation they can see.

The team starts towards the house, coming to a stop in the trees about half a mile away. As they stop, Steve looks at Barry and Carol before saying, "Alright. You got this, you two."

Barry and Carol both nod to Steve, then at each other. They turn in the direction of the house, then Barry takes off, Carol flying beside him.

The two reach the house in a moment. Barry phases right through the wall, while Carol smashes right through the wall. They prepare to attack, but stop short. Because the house is empty.

The two stand there for a moment before looking at each other. Then, Barry gets on comms and says, "Guys, we got a problem. Thanos isn't here."

It doesn't take long before the rest of the team has reached the house. They all search the house and the area around it, but find no sign of Thanos.

After a minute, the entire team has gathered in the house. "What's going on? The Stones were here. This is the planet where we detected that power surge. So where is Thanos?" Oliver asks in confusion.

Suddenly, a device they hadn't noticed lying on a table starts to vibrate. They all turn to look at it. They're about to hurry out of the house, fearing it's a bomb, when suddenly, a hologram appears above it. A hologram of Thanos' head.

"Avengers. I knew you would not be able to live with your own failure. I knew your determination would drive you to pursue me and attempt to reclaim the Stones. But it was in vain," Thanos says in a slight mocking tone.

Everyone stares at the hologram as Thanos pauses for a moment. Then, he continues, "So, I took precautions. The Stones are gone. I no longer had any need for them. I used the Stones to banish themselves across the universe. They are now spread so far you will never find them. And even if you could, it would take years and years, and you would never take them. For I have set guards over them. Guards you will never defeat. Only I can reclaim the Stones should I so choose. Try as you might, you will never retake the Stones. The work is done. It always will be. I am…inevitable."

Thanos is quiet for another moment. "You failed, Avengers. There is nothing you can do. You must accept this. It is the only way to survival. And do not come looking for me. You will never find me. And if you somehow should, you will die." And with that, the hologram deactivates.

Everyone stands there, stunned into silence. Finally, Rhodey, clearly on the verge of panicking, says, "We-we have to tear this place apart. He has to be lying."

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them," Nebula responds.

Everyone is quiet. Then, Barry, now looking angry, says, "Well, that's it. We lost." Then, he turns and walks out of the house.

"I can't believe this," Oliver says.

"Well, it seems you must, Oliver. The Stones are gone," Thor says before he turns and follows Barry out of the house.

The rest of the team just stands there, not sure what to do or say. All they know is one thing. The Stones are gone. Their last chance is gone.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope you like what I did there. I had a tough time deciding whether or not to do the Time Heist. Ultimately, I felt that would be too easy, as the Avengers could literally have five speedsters capable of time travel. I also realized that going this way could create some very interesting possibilities. I originally thought of having Thanos banish the Stones across the multiverse instead of just this universe, but I thought that would make it too hard for the team to gather them again.**

**So, to clarify. You may already be suspecting this, but the guards that Thanos has set over the Stones are all fallen enemies from both the MCU and the Arrowverse. Obviously, there are dozens of villains that fit that category. And I am now opening a poll. I am letting you all cast your votes as to which villains you would like to see guarding the Stones. I have three I've already decided on for sure. But, I need multiple guards for each of the Stones, so leave multiple suggestions if you leave any. Any dead villain is on the table, and that means villains like the weekly metahumans in Flash or other villains that aren't major villains. So leave your suggestions. Also, if you want, leave suggestions for locations for the Stones.**

**Well, next chapter will show the return to Earth, and the immediate aftermath of this chapter. It should be up within a day or two. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	4. Chapter 4- Back to Earth

**Alright. Back quickly with another chapter.**

**This one will deal with the aftermath of discovering what Thanos did to the Stones, and the team's return to Earth. It'll particularly focus on Barry and Oliver.**

**Let's get to it.**

* * *

Chapter 4- Back to Earth

The sun has just set as the _Benatar_ touches down on the grounds of the New Avengers Facility. As soon as the ship touches down, it's ramp lowers to the ground.

Thor is the first to leave the ship, almost dragging Stormbreaker behind him. Following right behind him is Barry, who looks more broken than ever before. The rest of the team slowly files off the ship.

"This can't be it. This can't be how it ends. We can't just stop here," Natasha says, desperately not wanting everything to end here.

"Natasha, I'm not sure what we can do. If Thanos really did scatter the Stones across the universe, it could take us years or even decades to find them. And even if we could ultimately find them, we'd probably be too old to be able to deal with those guards Thanos set," Oliver responds. He doesn't want this to end here, but knows that realistically, the chances of them ever finding the Stones again are next to nothing.

Natasha looks at Oliver, as if pleading for him to change his mind. But, Oliver just looks back at her. Finally, she sighs, beginning to accept that they've lost.

* * *

Oliver walks out of the kitchen, eating a sandwich he just made. After the team returned to the Facility, everybody's been pretty much just in a daze at the realization that they've truly lost. Nobody has really had the motivation to do anything.

As he walks into one of the living rooms, he is surprised to see Barry zipping up a duffel bag.

"Barry. What are you doing?" he asks.

Barry slowly looks up at Oliver, taking a second before responding, "There's nothing for me here anymore, Oliver. I've lost almost everything. But I still have my children. I need to go back to them. Pepper gave me enough money to get a nice place for me and the twins. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm done with this Earth. This place has too many painful memories."

Oliver looks back at his friend for a few moments, then slowly nods. "Alright. I get it," he says.

"Do you want to come back with me?" Barry asks.

"No. From what you said, Barnes is doing a good job leading my team, and he and Quentin are doing a fine job running the city. Earth-1 doesn't need me. Earth-99 does. I think I'm more needed on the Avengers than Team Arrow," Oliver responds.

Barry nods after a second before lifting his bag over his shoulder. "Alright. I'm sure I'll still see you from time to time. But I guess this is goodbye for a little while, Oliver," he says.

Oliver smiles as he walks up to Barry and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, Barry. I'll see you later," he says. Barry cracks the smallest of appreciative smiles.

Oliver steps back, and Barry picks up the extrapolator he had taken. He activates it, looks at Oliver one more time, then steps through the breach.

Oliver continues to stare at the spot where his friend vanished. A moment later, Natasha walks into the room.

"He went back to Earth-1?" she asks.

"Yup," Oliver responds simply.

They're quiet for a moment before Natasha says, "I'd just started to get used to having him around again. I'm gonna miss him."

"So am I. But Earth-1 is where he belongs right now," Oliver responds.

"But not for you?" Natasha asks.

"No. You guys need me here. Without that Clint guy, I think you guys need an archer on the team," Oliver says with a slight grin.

Natasha smiles back at him. "Well then, welcome to the team, Queen," she says.

* * *

Barry comes through the other side of the breach, emerging into the Cortex. He immediately sees Caitlin and Cisco, sitting at the computers, talking in whispers. But, as Barry emerges from the breach, they look up, then shoot to their feet.

"Barry! You're alive!" Caitlin cries before hurrying up and hugging him.

"Yeah. I'm alive," Barry says, a little confused as to why she acts so relieved.

After a few moments, Caitlin releases Barry. Barry looks around, and sees that they're the only ones there.

"Where is everybody?" he asks. Immediately, he notices the glances Caitlin and Cisco exchange, and a pit begins to form in his stomach.

"What is it guys?" he asks.

"Barry… about three and a half weeks ago, half the people on the planet suddenly turned to dust. Ralph, Cecile, and Clint's family were among the casualties. And about a week ago, Clint just up and left Central City. We haven't been able to find him," Cisco says.

Barry looks at him horrified. "Wait, the Stones affected this universe too?" he asks in horror.

"Stones? You mean, the Infinity Stones?" Caitlin asks.

"Yes. An alien warlord on Earth-99 named Thanos got his hands on all the Stones and used them to wipe out half the life in the universe," Barry says.

Caitlin and Cisco both look shocked. After a moment, Cisco says, "And the Stones affected not just that universe, but the multiverse. He wiped out half the life in every universe."

Barry begins to tear up. Caitlin looks at him, and a pit begins to form in her stomach. "Barry, what is it?" she asks.

It takes Barry several moments before he's able to speak. He splutters, "W-Wanda is dead. She's one of the ones that got turned to dust. And so did Pietro."

Caitlin and Cisco stare at him in horror. After a moment, Barry manages to get out, "Are…Are Nora and Stephen…?"

"Y-yes, they're alive. Joe is watching them right now," Caitlin responds.

Immediately, Barry vanishes in a flash of lightning, speeding towards Joe's house. Within seconds, he reaches the house and bursts in. On the couch, Joe and Iris, who are trying to entertain Nora and Stephen, jump in fright before realizing who it is. But, before either of them can get a word out, Barry runs at normal speed around the couch and scoops up his children, clutching them tightly.

"Oh, Nora. Stephen," he manages to get out before he breaks down.

Joe and Iris stare at each other, alarmed, before looking back at Barry. "Barry. What on Earth is going on?" Joe asks.

Barry is unable to answer for a minute. Joe and Iris bend over and both give him a hug, just trying to calm him down. Finally, after about a minute, Barry is able to talk.

"Wanda is dead," he says. Joe and Iris look at each other for a moment before they continue to hug Barry.

It takes them a while before they are able to get Barry onto the couch and calmed down enough that he's able to talk. Once he does, he tells them everything that happened on Earth-99. How Thanos got the Stones, snapped his fingers and wiped out half the universe (and apparently the entire multiverse), and how the Avengers' attempt to retake the Stones resulted in failure.

By the end of the story, Joe and Iris are just in complete shock. Joe is the one that finally breaks the silence.

"Wow. Just…Barry, I'm so sorry," he manages to say.

Barry is quiet for a moment before looking at Joe, and, with tears in his eyes, asks, "Why, Joe? First my mother. Then my father. Now my wife and brother in law." He pauses for a moment, then says, "How much family do I have to lose, Joe?"

Joe just looks back at Barry before he responds, "I don't know, Barry. I don't know." He wants to comfort his foster son, but knows that there's nothing he can really say.

They all just sit there for a few moments. Finally, Joe asks, "What are you gonna do now, Barry?"

"All I know is that these two are all I really have left," Barry says, clutching Nora and Stephen a little tighter.

"Barry, that's not true. You have plenty of people who love you," Iris says.

"I know Iris, but Nora and Stephen are the only true blood family I have left. And I've already missed the first year and a half of their lives. They just lost their mother. They need me now," Barry says. He's quiet for another moment before saying, "Pepper, Tony Stark's fiancée, gave me enough money to find a place of my own. Wally will have to take my place, because I'm not going to be able to be the Flash for a long time. I need to be a father. And right now, I can't do both. I'll stay here while I'm looking for a new place, but my time as the Flash is over a for a while."

Iris wants to argue, feeling that Barry can't just abandon Central City. However, Joe nods. "I understand, Barry. You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. But just remember, you don't have to be a single dad alone. You have friends and family who are here to help you," he says.

Barry nods. Right then, Nora says, "Dada." Barry looks down at his daughter, then starts crying even more, hugging Nora and Stephen tightly. Iris and Joe just sit there, not speaking, both feeling overwhelmed at all that has happened.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter. I know, probably not the best, but I mainly wanted to show Barry returning to Earth-1 and him finding out that the effects of the Decimation were multiversal, and show Oliver choosing to remain behind on Earth-99.**

**Next chapter will cut back to the future, though Nora, Stephen, and Pietro won't show up again until the one after. This next chapter will also be the turning point, and the key to the Avengers defeating Thanos. You'll see why.**

**Well, until my next update, leave a review, don't forget to cast your votes for which villains you want to see as guards, and stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5- Thane

**Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. I know this is the third update in as many days, but I start next semester of college in less than a week, and I'll have a lot less time to write, so I want to get as many chapters up as I can before then.**

**This chapter is going to be a very important one. I'm sure you guys can probably tell why a bit by the chapter title.**

**Let's get to it.**

**Guest 1:** I understand your reasoning, but in reality, the blame for Ultron really lies with Tony, as it was clear he had been planning to create Ultron for a very long time before Wanda gave him that vision. He probably would've used the scepter for Ultron even if she hadn't. And yes, I am very aware there are plenty of Team Iron Man people out there. Doesn't mean I have to support both sides in my story. I don't have to work my stories around making sure both sides are perfectly pleased. If you're not happy that I'm not writing a story that supports Team Iron Man, then don't read it. Like in all controversial issues, if you don't adapt your ways to include the other side, doesn't mean you're not supportive of their point of view or antagonistic towards them.

**Guest 2:** Nora West-Allen won't be showing up because Barry isn't married to iris, and his daughter with Wanda is already named Nora.

**Guest 3: **Oliver will see all of Team Arrow once they get brought back, and he will return to Star City at some point, though when and whether or not it'll be permanent I won't say yet.

**Jazzlover20: **I plan on keeping Nyssa on Earth-99 to use in future stories, especially the one involving Taskmaster, so I will most likely not be doing NyssaxValkyrie.

**Ultimatrix Bearer**: No, I will not include villains that have been considered (like Red Hulk), or that haven't been introduced yet. Just because they haven't appeared yet, and I want to keep it to villains we're already familiar with.

**Green Hal37: **Tony knew Oliver was there to help. He meant that as a question to ask how Oliver had gotten to Earth-99. Hope that clears it up. Also, regarding Dormammu, I'm not sure how THanos could bring him into the universe without causing serious devastation. And not sure he'd need to make a deal with him or Hela. He could just use the Stones to force them to do his will.

* * *

Chapter 5- Thane

(2046)

"I kinda thought they would be back within a few seconds," Jenna says to the rest of the team as they continue to wait for Stephen and Nora.

"Well, we don't know just how their time travelling abilities work. They may not be able to be super accurate when travelling through time," William suggests.

"Yeah, and I mean, we're in no hurry. I mean, no matter how long we wait in this time, we're still gonna be able to go back to the time we need to," John says.

"Yeah, but, I don't want to just wait forever," Jenna responds.

"Be patient, Jenna," John says, resting a hand on her shoulder. Jenna turns to him and smiles a bit. During the last few months since she joined the team, she and John have gotten fairly close. As the two stare at each other for a few moments, they miss the knowing glances between a few members of the team.

After a moment, John says, "I'm gonna go get something to eat. Anyone want to join me?"

Zoe and Bobby both nod. But, right as they start to walk out, an alarm starts to blare.

"What is it?" Jenna demands as William types furiously, trying to figure out what's going on.

After a few moments, William curses before saying, "Something entered the atmosphere is on course to land on the northern border of Wakanda. It has a large energy signature. It can't be a meteorite. I think we've got ourselves an alien visitor."

There's a second of silence before Jenna says, "Alright. I'll go investigate."

"I'll come with you," Bobby says. Jenna looks at him, then nods once before turning and hurrying out of the room, Bobby following close behind.

They make their way to hangar, where the Wakandans quickly provide them with an aircraft to fly out to the site where the ship landed. A Wakandan pilot is at the controls, while Bobby and Jenna wait anxiously in the back.

It's a brief flight out to the site. As they near it, the pilot calls back to Bobby and Jenna, "We're 5 minutes out."

"Got it," Bobby answers. He then looks at Jenna and asks in a quieter voice, "Are you ready to maybe fight some aliens?"

"You bet," Jenna says with a slight smirk.

A few minutes later, the pilot says, "One minute out. I'm gonna land about a mile from the site."

"Understood," Bobby responds.

Soon after, the pilot sets the aircraft down. As the engines shut down, the back opens up. Bobby and Jenna look at each other, then slowly walk out of the aircraft.

They quickly make their way to the site. As they arrive, they see the ship up ahead of them. It's not too large, not much bigger than a modern fighter jet. It's design is rather intricate, yet sleek, with powerful looking engines. It's clear this is a ship meant for speed.

They slowly circle the ship for a minute before Jenna says, "It doesn't look like whatever was in this thing has come out. And it doesn't look like two many people could fit in this thing."

"Agreed," Bobby responds.

Suddenly, they hear a noise from the rear of the ship, and look to the back to see a ramp lowering from the ship.

The two race around to the back of the ship, ready to fight. For a few moments, they wait. Then, a set of feet appear from inside the ship, coming down the ramp. A moment later, the owner of the feet appears.

Bobby and Jenna look the alien over. Physically, his body looks similar to that of a human, except for his pointed ears. But it's clear he's not a human. His skin is grayish purple. He's bald, but the area where his hair would be is black. His eyes are a deep purple. He's wearing some kind of suit, resembling some kind of armor, that is gold on the chest and black on the sides and back. One of his hands is wearing a golden gauntlet, while the others is wearing a black gauntlet. Both of his hands are glowing slightly.

Bobby and Jenna look at the new arrival warily. Ready to fight, Jenna summons her psychic sword, and Bobby transforms his body to ice.

"Why have you come here?" Jenna asks.

"I came because I detected time travel on this world. I thought perhaps this was the chance I had been waiting for," the alien says.

"Who are you?" Bobby demands.

"I will tell you who I am if you will tell me who are," the alien responds.

Bobby and Jenna watch him warily for a moment before Jenna responds, "You can call us Psylocke and Iceman. We're members of the New Avengers."

The alien is quiet for a moment before he starts to smile. "Avengers, I see. Yes. The time has come," he says.

Jenna and Bobby glance at each other, then back at the alien. "Enough. Tell us who you are," Jenna demands.

The alien smiles slightly. "My name is Thane. I am the son of Thanos. And I am here to help you, Avengers," he says.

Jenna and Bobby look at each other, very surprised at this information, and conflicted over whether to trust him.

* * *

"So, wait. You're the son of Thanos?" Zoe asks.

In the hall in the Wakandan palace, the entire team is gathered, and they're all staring at Thane.

"Yes. And unlike the other individuals that bore the title Children of Thanos…I am my father's sole biological child," he says.

Everyone is quiet for a few moments before Morgan says, "Okay, that is disturbing on several levels."

"Trust me. I am just as repulsed by my father as you are," Thane says.

"Well, I guess that answers for certain what side you're on. But, why are you here, Thane? What brings you to Earth now?" Jenna asks.

Thane is quiet for a moment before he says, "I was on a planet called Xandar when the Decimation occurred. I knew instantly it was my father. We had had a real falling out years before in which I formally turned my back on him and ran. But, I knew his plan to use the Infinity Stones. When I saw people disintegrating randomly, I knew he had succeeded."

"Since then, I have dedicated my life to trying to find a way to reverse the Decimation. I have discovered some things that could be used to reverse my father's doings, but I could never hope to do so by myself. I needed allies. I needed the Avengers," Thane says.

"Okay, but why did you say you came here because you detected time travel? Why is that important to you?" Jenna asks.

"Because. As we stand, even this team could not hope to retake the Infinity Stones and reverse the Decimation. The only hope to reverse the Decimation is in the past. You must travel back in time, and work with the Avengers of the past in order to do so. However, even with their help, you will fail unless you do one more thing," Thane says.

"What is that?" Bobby asks.

"Find my past self. In the months following the Decimation, I learned crucial information that will be vital to your efforts. While you and the Avengers could locate the Stones on your own, without my help, it will be nearly impossible. When you go back to the past, you must find my past self and enlist his aid," Thane advises.

"How do we convince your past self to help us?" John asks.

Thane reaches into a pocket on his belt and pulls out a device. His eyes glow a bit, and the device floats through the air towards Jenna, who plucks it out of the air.

"This device contains a video recording of myself. Show it to my past self, and it will convince him to help you," Thane says.

Jenna looks at the device, then back at Thane. "This will really work?" she asks.

"I can make few guarantees. I can guarantee that with that recording, and the right words, my past self will help you. I can guarantee that with the help of my past self, you will have at least a chance of regaining the Stones. But I cannot guarantee anything beyond that. That will depend on you," Thane says.

The team is quiet for a few moments. Then, Jenna says, "Thank you, Thane. Thank you for being willing to help us."

Thane nods. "I must go. I am trusting you all. I trust that you will all find a way to stop my father," he says. Then, he slowly turns and walks out of the hall.

Everyone is quiet as they watch Thane go. Finally, Cassie asks, "Are we really trusting him?"

"He seems to have good intentions. I doubt he would've sought us out so long after the Decimation just ensure his father's plan. Plus, if he really did support Thanos, then where was he during the struggle for the Stones?" John asks. Cassie shrugs to admit he has a point.

Jenna looks down at the device. "Well, one way or another, once we get back to the past, we're going after Thane. I guess we'll just have to wait and see just what he does then," she says.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope you liked my formal introduction for Thane. For those who aren't aware, in the comics, Thane is Thanos' son by an Inhuman woman. He's gone back and forth in the comics, between being the opposite of his father and taking his father's place as a conqueror. In this, Thane has taken after Gamora in that he hates his father and wants to stop him.**

**Thane's powers in the comics are pretty intriguing. His main Inhumans powers are a "death touch", and a being able to encase enemies in an amber construct. Those powers are unique to one of his hands, with his left hand having the death touch, and the right hand having the amber power. At times, due to run ins with various cosmic forces, he's acquired other powers. In this story, he will have some of those other powers, so I'll leave it up to your imagination how he got them. Thane will be a major player in this, and the key to the Avengers reversing the Decimation.**

**Also, for those wondering, after a lot of thought, I have decided on Dave Franco portraying Thane.**

**Also, quick note. I've gotten several suggestions for villains that are still alive to be guarding the Stones, especially Reverse Flash and Malcolm Merlyn. I will say this. The only living villain I'm willing to consider as a guard is Red Skull, since he pretty much already is one. So, just for future notices, if you leave votes for guards, make sure they're one that have died.**

**Well, that's it for now. Leave a review, and stay tuned for the next update.**


	6. Chapter 6- Out of the Speed Force

**Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.**

**This one will be the second in a row in the future, and will be the last before the New Avengers go back to the past.**

**Let's get to it.**

**Guest**: I understand some of your points about Ultron, and to some degree, I agree with some of them. I did not intend that reply to be insulting. I meant it simply to say that I am supportive of people supporting Team Iron man, and to make it clear that I'm not going to conform my stories to the wishes of Team Iron Man supporters who can't handle the fact that I support Team Cap. Also, to answer your question about Barry and Tony: yes, they will make up. By the end of this story, the whole Civil War will be put in the past, and the Avengers will reconcile.

* * *

Chapter 6- Out of the Speed Force

Nora and Stephen stand together, waiting for Pietro. They've lost track of how long they've been in the Speed Force. But for however long it has been, they've been helping their uncle through the trials the Speed Force has put before him. However, now, Pietro is going through his final trial, and the Speed Force has decreed he must do it alone.

"Did you ever think we'd be our uncle's mentors?" Nora asks Stephen, who chuckles a bit.

Nora smiles, then says, "He's been gone for a while. Do you think we should be worried?"

Stephen smiles. "He's our uncle. If we could beat Godspeed, Uncle Pietro can get through his trial," he says confidently.

Nora nods. Right as she nods, what looks like a twister of energy forms right in front of them. They both look at it, feeling excited. After a moment, the energy dissipates, revealing Pietro, grinning broadly. Behind him is Wanda, though they both know it's just the Speed Force manifesting itself.

"Hey, Uncle. Did you do it?" Nora asks. Pietro smirks and vibrates his hand at super speed, bringing grins to Nora and Stephen's faces.

"Your Uncle passed his final test. With flying colors, I might add," the Speed Force says. Nora and Stephen smile proudly.

"Now, it is time for you to return home. You are nearly ready to make the trip back to the past and to face Thanos. But not yet. First, you must train, Pietro. You may have received powers from us, you must learn how to use them properly," the Speed Force says.

Pietro nods in understanding. Then, the Speed Force says, "And there are a few things you must know before you return. First, when you return to the past, you must gather as any heroes as you can. The Stones are well guarded, and you must gather a powerful team to retake them all. One you must find who is yet alive is Scott Lang."

Nora and Pietro look surprised. So far as they knew, Scott Lang disintegrated during the Decimation. "He's alive? Where is he?" Nora asks.

"Right before Thanos snapped his fingers, Scott Lang was in a place called the quantum realm. The person meant to pull him out was disintegrated, and he remained stuck in the quantum realm," the Speed Force says. It then proceeds to tell them how to free Scott from the quantum realm.

Once the Speed Force has given them the instructions, Stephen nods and says, "Thank you. We will free him."

The Speed Force nods, then says, "And you must also know this. You cannot return to the exact time of the Decimation. You must go back to the past a year after the Decimation, but before your father travels back in time."

Nora, Stephen, and Pietro all look surprised. "Wait, why do we have to wait?" Pietro asks.

"There are several reasons, and I cannot tell them all to you. But, the most important is known to your friends back in 2046. Since you travelled back to the past, they have learned something important. You must ask them what it is when you see them again," the Speed Force says.

All three speedsters feel very conflicted at this. But knowing that the advice of the Speed Force isn't just something they can ignore, they all slowly nod.

The Speed Force says. "Alright. The time has come for you to return to 2046. Oftentimes, when speedsters come here, we do not just send them out. However, we will do so this once." The Speed Force, and a twister of energy, more powerful than the one just a minute ago, appears behind them.

"Now. Run, you three. Run," the Speed Force says. They all nod, then speed into the twister.

* * *

(2046, Wakanda)

It's a nice day in Wakanda. In a large training arena used by the Dora Milaje and Kingsguard, the New Avengers are training. Cassie is training with Jenna. Zoe is training with Azari. Bobbie is training with Morgan. And John is shooting at targets.

Suddenly, a portal, one looking very different from a breach, appears in the middle of the hall. All of them turn to look at it. After a few moments, two streaks of red-orange lightning come out of the portal and stop, revealing Nora and Stephen.

"Nora! Stephen!" John cries out in surprise.

"Hey, guys. We're back!" Nora says cheerfully.

"What is that thing?" Morgan asks, pointing at the portal.

"That's an opening into the Speed Force, the source of our powers," Nora responds.

"Okay. Why were you in the Speed Force?" Jenna asks.

Nora smiles, right before a streak of white lightning comes out of the portal. It streaks around them a few times before coming to a stop, revealing Pietro, smiling broadly.

John, Jenna, Zoe, and Bobby all look at Pietro hesitantly, seeing his lightning is the same color as Godspeed's. Seeing this, Nora quickly says, "Everyone. This is our uncle, Pietro Maximoff. Back in 2015, he was a speedster like us, though his powers didn't come from the Speed Force. He ended up in a coma, and in the original timeline, he died without coming out of it. When we travelled back in time, we took him into the Speed Force. He woke up, and the Speed Force put him through trials to give him powers like ours."

Those that fought Godspeed calm, and everyone looks at Pietro welcomingly. "Welcome to the team, Pietro," John says.

Pietro grins. Then, Nora says, "Guys, before we left the Speed Force, the Speed Force manifested itself in the form of our mother, and told us that we when we went back again to stop the Decimation, we had to go back to a year after the Decimation, but right before our dad travelled back in time. When we asked why, the Speed Force said you all learned something while we were in the Speed Force that explains why we can't go back sooner."

Everyone looks confused. Then, Jenna gets a look of inspiration and says, "Guys, remember? What Thane said?" Everyone is confused for a while longer before they remember.

"Right," Morgan responds.

"Wait, what?" Stephen asks.

"The day after you went back in time, a spaceship landed here in Africa. Me and Jenna went to investigate. When we got there, we found a very human-like alien on board. He said his name was Thane, the son of Thanos, and he wanted to help us. He told us that when we went back in time that we needed to find him and recruit his help in order to reverse the Decimation, as in the months following, he learned things that would be crucial to reversing the Decimation. The Speed Force must've told you to go back a year after the Decimation because otherwise, Thane won't have learned everything he needs to learn in order to help us," Bobbie explains.

Nora and Stephen both look shocked. "Wait, he's the son of Thanos, and you think we should trust him?" Nora asks.

"Well, why else would he come? He wasn't with Thanos when Thanos gathered the Stones. Do you really think he was sent by his father just to assure the success of his plan and that we couldn't reverse it? If Thanos wanted that, why not just come himself and kill us all?" Bobbi replies.

Nora is quiet for a moment before saying, "Alright. I guess you have a point."

She looks around at the team, then says, "Alright. Keep training. We need to be completely ready for this. This is gonna be the fight of our lives. I want us all to be more ready than we've ever been for this. We'll leave to go back to the past in a week. Understood?"

Everyone nods, then resumes training. Meanwhile, Nora and Stephen turn to their uncle. "Alright, Uncle Pietro. You've got powers of the Speed Force now. It's time for you to learn how to use them," Nora says.

"Alright. What are we doing first?" Pietro asks eagerly.

The twins smile and say in sync, "Catch us if you can." They then speed off in a flash of lightning.

Pietro grins like a madman. "This is gonna be fun," he says before he speeds off after his niece and nephew.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I know this chapter wasn't too exciting, but I had to do it before moving on. Next chapter should be a lot better. It'll be up either tomorrow or on Monday.**

**Also, a quick note on the vote. I currently have about 24 different villains (that are eligible) that people have voted for. Ronan the Accuser and Ultron are the current leaders. But, keep the recommendations coming. I do ask that if you've already voted for a character to not leave a second vote for that character, to leave the vote fair, but if you feel there are more characters you'd like to see, then feel free to vote for them. I need at least two or three villains per stone, maybe more depending on the strength of the villains.**

**Alright. That's it for this chapter. Until next time, leave a review, leave your vote if you haven't already or you have a new one, and stay tuned.**


	7. Chapter 7- One Year Later

**Hey, everybody. So, here we go. Things are about to really kick into high gear.**

**Now, as I mentioned in last chapter, there will be a time gap, though this one will only be a year long instead of five years.**

**Alright. Let's get started. This chapter will be shorter.**

* * *

Chapter 7- One Year Later

(Earth-1)

It's a calm day in Central City. It's relatively quiet, even though the city remains a major city, with many people moving there, seeking the protection of Wally, Cisco, and Caitlin.

Outside the city, on a small farm, a lone black horse and its rider are riding through the fields surrounding the farmhouse. As the horse comes up to a stream, the rider reigns him in.

"Easy, Blackjack," Barry says. Blackjack whinnies a bit as he slows down.

"Here, boy. Go ahead and take a minute. Have a drink," Barry says as he climbs off Blackjack's back and leads him to the stream. Blackjack gratefully lowers his head and takes a long drink from the stream.

Barry smiles as he rubs his horse's neck. Blackjack is one of the two horses that came with the farm when he bought it. He had bonded very quick with Blackjack and the other horse, Snowball, a female. Snowball had had a foal two months earlier, which had delighted Nora and Stephen.

It's been a year since the Decimation. About a week after Barry returned to Earth-1, he found the farm. It was a nice place, with multiple large gardens, a small cornfield about the size of baseball diamond, Blackjack and Snowball, a cow, two pigs, and a few dozen chickens. The previous owner, an old man who lost his wife in the Decimation, took pity on Barry and sold it to him for a reduced price.

Since then, he has hardly left the farm. He got surprisingly good at the farm work, and has been able to live off of it with surprisingly little assistance. His friends regularly visit him. Joe has been a great help in helping him learn to be a good single father, while Cisco and Caitlin have done their part as godparents to help Barry. Iris has tried to help, but has also tried to get closer to Barry. She's attempted several times to ask him out to dinner, but Barry has made it clear he has no intention of dating anytime soon. Since he turned her down, she's just tried to be a friend and help him through everything.

Since arriving on the farm, Barry has taken up horseback riding with a passion. At times, it's even more therapeutic for him than running, and Barry knows he can talk to them about his problems and get nothing but love.

This is his second ride today. Iris and Joe had brought him cookies earlier, and watched Nora and Stephen so he could go on a short ride. Then, an hour ago, Cisco had come to spend some time with the twins, and Barry took the opportunity to go on another ride. Today is the first anniversary of the Decimation, and it's been a very hard day for him.

Barry sighs as he keeps rubbing Blackjack's neck. "A whole year, Blackjack. It's been a whole year since I lost her," he says. By now, Blackjack has finished drinking, and he now nuzzles Barry, making him smile a bit.

Suddenly Barry's phone begins to ring. He picks it up and says, "Yeah, Cisco?"

"There's a metahuman alert downtown. I gotta go," Cisco says quickly.

"Alright. I'll be back in a minute," Barry says. He hangs up, then says, "Alright, Blackjack. Time to go back." Blackjack nickers a little bit as Barry climbs onto his back. He pulls Blackjack around and spurs him into a gallop, riding back towards the farmhouse.

Once he gets back and ties up Blackjack at the fence, he hurries into the house. "Alright, go Cisco," he says as he gets into the living room. Cisco nods, opens a breach, and disappears.

"Daddy!" Nora cries. Barry smiles brightly at his children.

"Hey, you two. Daddy's back," he says as he hugs them both tightly, trying to enjoy the moment rather than think about Wanda.

* * *

(Earth-99)

In the conference room of the New Avengers Facility, Oliver and Natasha are sitting at a table, looking at the series of video calls showing the remaining Avengers. Nebula and Rocket. Okoye. Carol. Rhodey. And Logan. The only member of the team missing is Steve, who is at an emotional support group he's been running recently at Citi Field in New York City, which has been abandoned since the New York Mets stopped playing. Also missing is Thor, though he hasn't been a member since he left to join his people at their new settlement in Norway.

"So, we boarded that highly suspect warship Danvers pinged," Rocket says.

"It was an infectious garbage scow," Nebula says in a slight tone of irritation.

"So thanks for the hot tip," Rocket finishes.

"Well, you were closer," Carol says.

"Yeah, and now we smell like garbage," Rocket shoots back.

"You got a reading on those tremors?" Natasha asks Okoye.

"'Twas a mild subduction under the African plate," Okoye says.

"Do you have a visual? How are we handling it?" Natasha asks.

"Nat. It's an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it," Okoye replies.

Nat sighs internally, then turns to Logan. "Logan. Were you able to handle that HYDRA cell in Egypt?"

"Yeah. They're all dead. I got a lead on another cell in Pakistan, though, so I'm heading that way now," Logan says.

Natasha nods, then turns to Carol and asks, "Carol, are we seeing you here next month?"

"Not likely. The things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere. On thousands of planets. I'm probably not gonna be able to make it back to Earth for a long time," Carol responds.

Natasha nods a bit. "Alright. Well, this channel is always open. So, if anything goes sideways, if anyone's making trouble where they shouldn't…it comes through me," she says.

Several of the team nod or curtly respond, then begin to go offline one by one. Finally, only Rhodey is left. He looks at Natasha and says, "Are you gonna be okay, Nat?"

"I'm fine, Rhodey," she responds. Rhodey looks at her in worry for another moment before nodding and going offline.

Natasha sets down her sandwich she was eating, looking like she's about ready to start crying. Oliver reaches out a hand and grabs one of hers. "Hey. I know today has brought back a lot of painful memories. But all we can do is move on," Oliver says.

Natasha looks at Oliver, then leans over and embraces him, trying not to cry.

* * *

(Earth-1, Allen Farm)

"And then me and your mommy got married," Barry says. In front of him, in their beds, Nora and Stephen are smiling. After a struggle to get them to calm down and get ready for bed, Nora and Stephen had asked him to tell them the story of him and Wanda and how they fell in love. It had been tough to tell that story, but he didn't want to deny it to his children.

"I love that story, Daddy," Nora says.

Barry smiles, holding back tears. "So do I, sweetie," he says.

He pauses for a second. Then, he stands up and says, "Alright. Time to go to sleep you two." He walks up and gives each of them a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you in the morning," he says lovingly before turning off the light and walking out of the room.

Barry slowly makes his way to his bedroom, a few tears falling down his cheeks as he thinks back on his Wanda's romance, and how they fell in love. He especially thinks again and again about the day they reunited, and he learned he was a father.

As he reaches his bedroom, he sees a small book on the table. He picks it up and opens it, flipping through its pages. It's full of pictures of everyone he knows from Earth-99. There's at least one picture of everybody, but many of the pictures are of him and Wanda, or just Wanda. More tears start to fall as he looks at these pictures.

"Oh, Wanda. I miss you so much. If only you were here," he says in a whisper, running his fingers over a picture of him and Wanda on a date in Paris. As he looks at the picture, he finds his sadness and despair growing, as tears flow down his face.

Suddenly, he hears a noise downstairs. In a second, he recognizes it. It sounds exactly the same as the noises he heard downstairs on the night his mother was killed, minus his mother's screaming.

Barry sets down the book and speeds downstairs. Nothing is in the living room, but in the kitchen, a man dressed in blue and silver is sitting at the breakfast bar, his back facing Barry, and eating the cookies Joe and Iris had brought earlier.

"You picked the wrong house to break into, sir. And those cookies are a gift from my foster dad and foster sister," Barry says.

The man chuckles, then turns to face Barry. And Barry's mouth about hits the floor. Because the man sitting at the breakfast bar is Pietro.

"Hey, Barry," Pietro says. He then grins slyly and asks, "Or should I refer to you as brother-in-law now?"

Barry just stands there, stunned. Not only at the fact that Pietro is alive and sitting in his kitchen, but also that Pietro knows about his and Wanda's marriage.

Finally, Barry manages to stutter, "P-Pietro?"

Pietro continues to grin as he says, "You didn't see this coming, did you?"

Barry just stares at him, silent. After a few moments, Pietro, looking a bit more serious, says, "Sit down, Barry. There's a lot we need to talk about."

* * *

**And, I'll end there. Hope that cliffhanger isn't too bad.**

**So, you've gotten a slight hint as to some of what's happened since the Decimation. I promise that the full story of what happened after the Decimation in the original timeline will be explained soon.**

**Now, even though Carol is off patrolling space like she was in _Endgame_, she will be playing a bigger role in this than she did in _Endgame_. Also, in this, she didn't get that haircut, because honestly, I thought that was dumb.**

**Also, for those of you who asked, and many more who were probably wondering, yes, although Iris has had to deal with grief because of the Decimation, and on some level does feel bad for Barry, she did see Wanda's death as a chance, and has tried to get back together with Barry, several times.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will show Pietro explaining to Barry how he's alive, and include Nora and Stephen's arrival from the future. It should be up soon. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8- From the Future

**Alright, everybody. Back with another chapter. I hope you'll like this one.**

**Sorry about the chapter title. It's the best I could think of.**

**Now, Barry won't actually be meeting Nora and Stephen until next chapter. But, Nora and Stephen will be showing up. You'll see what I mean in a second.**

**Also, quick note. In a guest review in Chapter 5, I got asked what inspired me to write this series. It was really a combination of things. I've always loved writing crossovers, and after I got into the Arrowverse (I was already a big fan of Marvel) I thought from time to time about what writing such a crossover would be like. But, to be perfectly honest, the real inspiration that drove me to actually plan and start writing this series was who is perhaps my favorite fanfiction author, Stand With Ward and Queen. His Torn Between Two Earths story is amazing, and when I first read it, I felt that it was time I put my old ideas of an Arrowversse/MCU crossover into action. After that, as I thought of different plotlines, the inspiration for the different stories just came to me. But the original inspiration that actually drove me to start writing it was Stand With Ward and Queen's Torn Between Two Earths. So thank you for that, Stand with Ward and Queen. And to everyone else, if you haven't already, go check out Torn Between Two Earths and the other stories in Stand With Ward and Queen's "Two Earths" series.**

**Let's get to it. **

**GUEST: **Barry allen will not be dying. Sorry.

** Green Hal37: **Pietro is still a little mischievous, and honestly, stealing Barry's cookies would be something I could see him doing. And yes, I don't plan on doing the same thing with Thor and Banner that Endgame did.

* * *

Chapter 8- From the Future

(New Avengers Facility, Earth-99)

Oliver sits there, just hugging Natasha, letting her let her emotions out. After a minute, they hear, "You know, I'd offer to cook you dinner. But you two seem miserable enough already."

Natasha lets go of Oliver, and the two turn to see Steve walking into the room.

"You come here to do your laundry?" Natasha asks.

"And to see some friends," Steve says.

"Well, clearly your friends are fine," Natasha says with an air of humor.

There's quiet for a moment before Steve says, "You know I saw a pod of whales when I was coming over the bridge?"

"In the Hudson?" Oliver asks, a bit surprised.

"There's fewer ships. Cleaner water," Steve says.

"You know, if you're about to tell us to look on the bright side…I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich," Natasha says, still with an air of humor.

Steve chuckles as he walks up to sit at the table too, saying, "Sorry. Force of habit I guess."

The three are quiet for a moment before Steve says, "You know I keep telling everybody that they should move on and grow. Some do. But not us."

"If I move on, who does this?" Natasha asks.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be done," Oliver suggests.

Natasha looks at Oliver as she says, "I used to have nothing, and then I got this. This job. This family. And I was better because of it."

"You can still have that family. But maybe…maybe the Avengers aren't needed anymore," Oliver suggests. He's started to wonder if there really are gonna be any more threats necessitating the Avengers after the effects of the Decimation. There haven't been as many threats as he'd imagined there would be.

"I didn't start to feel good about myself until I became an Avenger. If I'm not an Avenger anymore, who am I other than the monster that the Red Room made me?" Natasha asks.

Oliver is about to respond when suddenly the doors burst over, and two streaks of reddish-orange lightning streak into the room, racing around them. The three stand up, ready for a fight, when the two streaks of lightning come to a stop in front of them, revealing a young man and a young woman. The young man is wearing a suit like Barry's, but in blue and silver colors. The young woman is wearing a similar suit, but with pants and a jacket instead of a full body suit, colored black and white. Neither is wearing masks. The young woman has very familiar looking red hair

Steve, Natasha, and Oliver all look at them warily. After a moment, Oliver asks, "Who the h*** are you?"

"I'm not surprised you don't recognize us, Oliver Queen. But I'm surprised you two don't," the young man says.

They look at the two speedsters before Steve asks, "Do we know you?"

The young man is about to respond when the young woman runs at normal speed up to Steve and hugs him. Steve looks surprised, and slowly hugs her back, still not sure who she is.

The young woman pulls back a moment later. "I've always wondered if I'd ever see you again," the young woman says as she looks at him.

Steve looks at her hard for a moment. And then, he realizes why she looked a little familiar. Her hair reminds him of Wanda's. And her appearance overall reminds him of both Wanda and Barry. Plus, she's a speedster. Then, it hits him who she might be.

"Wait. Nora?" he asks.

Nora smiles, nodding at him. "Yes," she says in a soft voice.

Both Oliver and Natasha stare at her in shock. Then, Natasha turns to the young man and asks, "Wait. Are you Stephen?"

Stephen smiles. "Took you long enough to recognize your own godson, Natasha," he says.

Natasha just stands there. After a moment, Stephen walks up to her and hugs her. She stands there for a moment before hugging him back.

As Natasha and Stephen embrace, Nora turns to Oliver. "Hello, Uncle Oliver," she says.

Oliver just stares back at her for a moment before saying, "You two are from the future, I'm assuming?"

Nora nods. "Yes. And we've come back because we need you all," she says.

* * *

(Earth-1, Allen Farm)

"P-pietro? How…how are you here? You're supposed to be dead," Barry asks in shock.

"Wrong, brother in law," Pietro says with a smile.

"How do you know about that? How do you know I married Wanda?" Barry asks.

"I did a little research before I came to see you," Pietro says simply.

"How are even awake though? And how did you get to this Earth?" Barry asks.

"The answer to both those questions is the same. I got taken into the Speed Force. While there, I went through trials, and when I passed them, I was gifted with a connection to the Speed Force. I became able to run to other worlds," he says.

Barry just stands there, not sure what to think. After a moment, he asks, "What are you doing here?"

"Because. I need your help, Barry," Pietro responds seriously.

* * *

(Earth-99)

"So wait, you came back because you want to reverse the Decimation?" Steve asks.

"Bingo," Stephen responds.

"But wait, how did this happen? What made you think you can reverse it?" Oliver asks.

"Well, we learned not too long ago that we could time travel. The person who taught us how suggested that we could use our powers to go back in time and reverse the Decimation. We have an idea of how we can, but we know that you would know more about the situation with Thanos and the Stones than we do," Nora responds.

"Wait. Who taught you that you could time travel?" Natasha asks.

"That's part of a much longer story. And we'd prefer to wait until everybody is assembled before we share that story," Nora responds.

"And what she means by that is that she wants to wait until our dad is here before telling that story," Stephen adds.

Steve nods. "Fair enough. But do you really have a plan?" he asks.

"Yeah. There's somebody we'll need to find. But we'll share that later. For now, let's just wait until our dad gets here," Stephen says.

"Are you gonna go get him?" Oliver asks.

"No. We sent Uncle Pietro to go get him," Nora responds.

"Wait. Pietro's alive?" Natasha asks in shock.

"Yeah. He didn't disintegrate in the Decimation. The reason you guys couldn't find him is because we came back in time and took him into the Speed Force. That woke him up from his coma, and after some trials in the Speed Force, Uncle Pietro got powers like ours. So, we sent him to Earth-1 to convince our Dad to come back to Earth-99," Nora says.

* * *

(Earth-1)

"So, wait. You wanna take me back to Earth-99 and work with the team to reverse the Decimation?" Barry asks Pietro.

"Pretty much," Pietro responds.

Barry is quiet for a moment before he says, "I can't, Pietro. There's no way to reverse the Decimation in this time. The Stones are hidden across the universe and are heavily guarded, and there's no way we can get past the guards even if we could find the Stones. The only way we could reverse the Decimation is by going back to the past and trying to stop it." He'd already been thinking about doing this, and this discussion has brought that idea back to his thoughts.

"You're wrong, Barry. There's a way to retake the Stones in this time," Pietro says.

"How?" Barry asks.

"I'm not sure. But your son and daughter seem to believe there is, and that's good enough for me," Pietro says.

"What did you say?" Barry asks in shock after a few moments.

"You don't think the Speed Force pulled me in on its own, did you? No. Nora and Stephen from the future travelled through time and brought me into the Speed Force. They've been considering this for a while. They have a plan to find and retake the Stones," Pietro says.

Barry stares at Pietro in shock. It takes him a minute before he's able to respond to this. "Wait. Nora and Stephen came from the future?" he asks.

"Yes. They sent me to find you. They told me that you were the bravest man they knew of, and that you would be able to lead us to victory over Thanos. Were they right, or are you gonna sit on you're a** when we have a chance to bring everyone back?" Pietro says, trying to goad Barry into action.

Barry is quiet for a moment, then gets a look of determination, the sorrow he's felt all day being replaced with anger and determination. "Yes. They're right. Let's go," he says.

Pietro grins. Finally, hope is returning.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I know there wasn't a ton to this chapter. But, I just wanted to show Nora and Stephen meeting their godparents, and Barry deciding to return to action.**

**Next chapter will show Barry meeting his children from the future, and you'll finally get a full explanation of everything that happened in the original timeline following the Decimation.**

**Well, that's it for this chapter. Until next time, leave a review and your vote for villain guards if you haven't already, and stay tuned for more.**


	9. Chapter 9- Nora & Stephen's Story

**Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. And this should be a good one. You'll all finally get answers as to everything that happened after the Decimation in the original timeline.**

**Let's get to it. This will be a longer chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 9- Nora and Stephen's Story

(Earth-99, New Avengers Facility)

"When are they gonna get here?" Steve asks his goddaughter.

"Hopefully soon. Uncle Pietro ran to Earth-1 about a half ago. If it doesn't take too long for him to convince Dad, then…" Nora begins.

However, before she can finish, a breach opens in front of them. Steve, Natasha, and Oliver watch the breach expectantly, Nora and Stephen waiting behind them. After a few seconds, Barry and Pietro walk through the breach.

"Barry," Natasha says in greeting as she goes to hug him. Barry accepts the hug.

"Hey, Natasha," he says softly.

Steve stares right at Pietro. "Glad to see you awake and well, Pietro," he says.

"You as well, Captain. It's been a while," Pietro says cheerfully, any ill feelings for the Avengers long gone.

After a few moments, Barry lets go of Natasha. Looking up, he freezes as he sees Nora and Stephen. The three stare at each other for a minute, the others stepping back to give them a little room.

Finally, Barry says in a choked up voice, "Is it true? Are you really Nora and Stephen?"

Nora nods, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yes, Dad. It's us," she responds.

Barry stands there for a minute before slowly walking towards them. He looks them over, and starts to see more of him and Wanda in the two of them. He feels a tiny part of him feeling hesitant, not wanting to immediately believe them after several painful experiences that came from trusting someone who claimed to be a friend. But, after everything that has happened, he needs to believe that these two really are his children.

Finally, Barry bursts into tears and embraces them both. Both Nora and Stephen start to cry as well as they embrace their father for the first time in over two decades.

The others watch with smiles as the family hugs each other. Finally, they separate, and Barry looks at them proudly. "You two…you got my powers," he says proudly.

"And mom's," Stephen says.

Barry just smiles even more brightly. "You followed in our footsteps," he says proudly.

The three continue to just stand there for a few more moments before Oliver says, "I know you three are gonna want to spend lots of time together. But we have a very serious matter to discuss."

"Yes. And you may all want to sit down for the story we have to tell," Stephen says.

Barry nods, and they all sit down. Barry then looks at his son and daughter. "What drove you all to come back here?" he asks.

"We recently learned we had the power to travel in time. So, we decided to come back to reverse the Decimation. But not just to bring everyone back. But also to save the Avengers. And you, Dad," Stephen says.

"Wait, save us?" Barry asks.

Nora looks at her father sadly. "Yes. In our time, the Avengers are all but extinct. And… the two of us are orphans," Nora says, her voice growing softer as she finishes.

Barry looks stunned. "What? What happens to me?" he asks.

"As you all know, the Decimation affected not only this universe, but the entire multiverse," Stephen begins. He then looks at Barry and says, "You lost Mom and many other friends. Apparently, we were the only things that kept you from completely losing it."

"Throughout the multiverse, Earths descended into chaos. Earth-1 was really bad especially. Star City was left without most of its protectors, since only Black Siren and Mr. Terrific were left, and Laurel left the city after Bucky died. Slade Wilson and Vigilante ended up coming back to Star City to fill in their shoes. Dad, you know everything that happened in Central City in the year after the Decimation. And on Earth-99, you guys," Stephen looks at Steve, Natasha, and Oliver as he says this, "were trying to hold everything together."

"A little after the first anniversary of the Decimation, when we were two and a half, according to Uncle Cisco, you had some breakdown. You couldn't handle it anymore. Apparently you just missed Mom and the others too much, so you decided you were gonna do whatever it took to stop Thanos and reverse the Decimation. So, you left the two of us with Cisco, and left to go back in time to stop the Decimation from ever happening," Stephen continues.

"And you never came back," Nora adds.

Everyone just sits there in silence at this revelation. Finally, Barry says, "I never come back?"

"No. Never," Nora replies, her voice showing just how sad this makes her.

Barry wants to hug his daughter, but needs more answers. So, he asks, "What happened after that?"

"After you didn't come back, Cisco took over raising me, and Caitlin took over raising Nora. Iris felt that it would be better for Papa Joe to raise us but he said that you had clearly wanted us to be with Cisco and Caitlin if something happened to you, and he was too busy being a single dad to Auntie Jenna. And, as you know, Grandpa Clint had left Central City after his family died, and he hadn't come back, so he couldn't care for us," Stephen says. He then looks at Steve and Natasha and says, "You were still trying to contain the chaos on Earth-99, and felt that it would be better for us to stay here on Earth-1."

"A few years after this, in 2021 when we were 4 and a half, a new speedster appeared in Central City. The media called him Red Death. For one reason. He was a serial killer. A madman who almost made Zoom look sane. He lived for killing," Nora adds.

"The whole team fought to stop Red Death. But he was a complete madman, and fast. Very fast," Stephen adds. He then stops and lowers his head, not wanting to look at his father.

Barry starts to feel very nervous. "What is it, Stephen?" he asks.

Stephen looks up at Barry and manages to say, "Finally, Red Death seemed to find out who all was behind Team Flash, and he came after the team. He… he was defeated, but, before he was...he killed Caitlin and Papa Joe, took one of Cisco's hands, and broke Wally's back in a way that paralyzed him permanently. The team only beat him when Supergirl came to help, and ARGUS unleashed King Shark to fight him. Supergirl was able to restrain him, and King Shark killed him."

Barry stares at his son, stunned into silence. Even Zoom was not that powerful. Finally, he manages to sputter, "Joe and Caitlin both died?" Stephen nods sadly.

After a moment, he manages to ask, "What happened to Jenna?"

"She ended up being taken in by Mama Cecile's sister. She eventually ran away when she was 14," Nora explains.

"And what happened to you two after Red Death was defeated?" Natasha asks.

"Well, Central City was descending into chaos. Cisco was the only one left to protect it, and he only had one hand. Luckily, Laurel Lance came to Central City to help fill in for the gap left by Wally and Caitlin, and ARGUS left King Shark in a facility in Central City in case there were any metahumans too much for them to deal with," Stephen explains.

"At the same time, on Earth-99, the Avengers had to deal with a warlord from the future named Kang. Most of you guys died attempting to stop him. The only ones to survive were Steve and Carol. Even Logan didn't survive," Nora adds.

The Avengers look stunned at this information. Most of them start worrying about this Kang, but Steve has a more pressing question.

"How does this fit into what happened to you?" he asks.

"Well, with the aftermath of the defeat of Red Death, and the five kinds of h*** Central City was descending into, Cisco felt he could no longer adequately take care of us, as the duty of raising both of us had fallen solely on him. So, he decided somebody else would be a better chance of parent than him," Stephen says.

"Aunt Iris tried to convince Cisco that she would be the best person to raise us. But honestly, Cisco didn't trust her. After the events of the Decimation and the fight with Red Death, she was still grieving and not dealing with it well. Also, throughout the years, she tried to stay very involved in our lives. I think she wanted to take us in, find a way to suppress our powers, and raise us as her own children, and try and keep the truth about our parentage from us. Cisco said she tried to be increasingly involved in our lives, and while you were here, had tried to reestablish a relationship with you. Also, she had been vehemently against teaching us about our powers, which Cisco and Caitlin determined that we had when we were 3. She felt the team should keep our powers hidden, or find a way to suppress them, as they would just place us in danger," he continues.

"Cisco felt she may have just been trying to preserve your memory, Dad. But I've always felt differently. I think that she never got over you, and that she felt if she couldn't have you, then she deserved us, and that we were, in her eyes, the kids she should've had with you, and that Wanda took from her. Cisco and Caitlin never told us a lot about you and Mom when we were still so little, wanting to kind of ease us into it in a way, so I think Iris would've tried to take advantage of that. And apparently, according the Cisco, one time when we were young and Iris was watching us, Cisco caught her telling us that our parents had abandoned us, but that she never would. He got pissed at her for that," Nora says, her dislike for Iris clear in her tone.

"Needless to say," Stephen says, eager to get back on track, "Cisco felt that Iris was a bad choice for a parent. He contacted Steve, but Steve, you said that Earth-99 was too chaotic, and your life was not a good environment for raising a pair of 5 year olds. Since Grandpa Clint was still missing, Cisco, feeling there was only one place to turn, and he contacted Auntie Kara on Earth-38."

"It turns out Earth-38 was affected a lot less than other Earths by the Decimation. Sure, half the population died, but it didn't descend into chaos like other Earths. Maybe the fact that Auntie Kara was still around to protect them gave them a feeling of security and helped the people of Earth-38 deal with the Decimation better, so Earth-38 was relatively peaceful. Cisco contacted Auntie Kara and asked her to take us in, and she agreed. Iris fought that decision as heavily as she could, but Cisco told her she had no part in the decision. Later, he actually told us he stopped letting Iris see us because he was afraid she would take us and just disappear with us. He kept us close for a little while longer, then took us to Earth-38, where Auntie Kara took us in and raised us."

Nora cuts in. "Auntie Kara raised us like her own children, and loved us like we were hers. But, she made it very clear she was not our real mom, and told us as much about you and Mom as she could. She got as many stories about you and Mom from those who knew the two of you and told us those stories. Steve and Cisco were a great help in that regard. And, when we turned 12, she started teaching us how to use our powers. It was just a little at first, but by the time were 16, she was putting us through real training. She trained us how to use our powers, and her sister Alex taught us how to fight without our powers."

Stephen picks back up. "When we were 25, in 2042, Auntie Kara decided it was time for us to return to Earth-1. By this point, Laurel had left Central City, and Cisco couldn't keep up. So, we returned to Central City, and took up our identities as the Silver Flash and XS. Cisco was really glad to see us back. Iris was too, but wasn't the most happy we were trying to fill the role of the city's protectors. She kept saying we shouldn't be going out there like that, but by this point, we had heard all about her and what she had tried to do after Red Death was defeated. So, honestly, we've hardly had any relationship with her."

"We continued our roles as XS and the Silver Flash for a few years. We kept training with Auntie Kara when we could, and learned some unarmed combat techniques from Slade Wilson before he died of cancer in 2044. We also started working with John Diggle's son, who had taken up Uncle Oliver's mantle as the new Green Arrow. However, Star City was largely abandoned about 7 years after the Decimation, so he helped us defend Central City," Nora explains.

Oliver is surprised at this information, and feels proud of JJ for taking up his mantle like that. However, he can sense something coming, and asks, "I'm guessing that relative peace didn't last?"

"No. In our time, about 6 months ago, a new speedster called Godspeed appeared in Central City. We discovered quickly he was working with a team. Slade Wilson's son Grant, the new Deathstroke. Fred Myers, the nephew of Digger Harkness and the new Captain Boomerang. And Evelyn Jackam, the new Weather Witch. We managed to gather a team of our own, and with their help and the help of Batman, we discovered Godspeed's plan was to take out the President and other US leaders, and take over the United States. But, we needed some help, as we couldn't match Godspeed's speed. We needed to learn how to defeat someone like him. So, we went to Iron Heights, and got Eobard Thawne, who's been imprisoned there since 2030, to train us," Stephen says.

Oliver stands there, surprised to hear that Batman, who he thought was an urban legend, is real. Barry, however, is stunned by something else they said. He looks at them, stunned. "WHAT? You turned to Thawne?" he cries.

"Yes, Dad. We had no choice," Stephen responds.

"No choice? How could you turn to Thawne? Knowing what he's done? How could you…?" Barry starts demanding of them. But before he can get another question out, he feels a hard slap across his face. Stunned, he turns his head and sees Natasha glaring at him.

"Really, Barry? They just told you why they turned to Thawne. And they don't seem like they particularly wanted to do it. Can you seriously cut them some slack and just listen to what they have to say?" Natasha says in irritation.

Barry just stares at Natasha for a moment, then takes a few deep breaths to calm down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten that mad. Why did you turn to Thawne?"

"We felt we didn't have a choice, Dad. The rest of our team could handle Godspeed's team. But even with the two of us fighting side by side we had lost multiple times to Godspeed. He had acquired an improved version the speed drug Velocity 9, and had gotten incredibly fast. We needed to learn how to get faster, and to learn techniques that we could use to defeat Godspeed. If we didn't, the United States would fall under his control. We felt that only Thawne could teach us that. Nora was vehemently against it at first, but I managed to convince her it was necessary. We agreed, though, that once we stopped Godspeed, we would have nothing more to do with Thawne," Stephen says.

Barry calms even more as he listens to Stephen, starting to accept that this really was the only choice they had. "So, did it work?" he asks.

Nora nods. "Yes. Thanks to Thawne's teachings, and help from a new metahuman called Iceman, we were able to defeat Godspeed. Afterwards, we went to see Thawne one last time, and that's when he told us that speedsters have the ability to time travel. After we heard that, we realized we might be able to help you reverse the Decimation. So, we had Thawne teach us how to time travel. Once we had a handle on that power, we came back from the future and took Pietro into the Speed Force, causing him to wake up, and after going through some trials in the Speed Force, gained a connection to the Speed Force. We returned to the future, and brought back our team before me and Stephen came here and sent Pietro to find you, Dad," she says.

Everyone is quiet for a few moments. Finally, Steve asks, "You said you have a plan. Do you mind sharing it with us?"

"Yes. But, I think we should bring Tony in before we share it. If our plan is gonna work, he needs to be part of it," Nora says.

Steve nods. "Alright. We'll bring him in," he says.

Stephen smiles. "He's gonna be so surprised when he gets here," he says. Everyone but Nora and Pietro look at him curiously, but he just smiles.

After a moment, Steve says, "Me and Oliver will go see Tony tomorrow. For now, I suggest we all get some sleep. We're gonna need it."

The group slowly disperses. However, Barry remains in the living room with Nora and Stephen. The three sit down on the couch, and just sit there, Barry holding his son and daughter, and three just enjoying being together.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter.**

**So, yes. The reason we never saw Joe, Caitlin, or Wally is because of Red Death. For those of you who don't know, Red Death is a character from the comics, who's a speedster from another Earth that is actually Bruce Wayne as an evil speedster. Obviously, he's different in this. I may or may not include him in the future, as the timeline is obviously going to change.**

**And Kang. Kang is the reason Nora and Stephen haven't ever been to Earth-99 until now. When they travelled back in time, the image they saw of Tony, Steve, and Oliver fighting an armored man was them fighting Kang. Unlike Red Death, I definitely have plans to include Kang in the future of the MACU, as already evidenced when I included him in my post credits scene during _Avengers of the Future_. And definitely more than once.**

**I included Barry getting slapped by Natasha because honestly, I think, in this state of mind, Barry's immediate response to learning they were working with Thawne would be a bit extreme at first, and he'd need someone to snap him back to his senses.**

**And regarding Iris. Yes, in the original timeline she became pretty manipulative and jealous. I am thinking of reworking her in this timeline so that she at least becomes somewhat likable again. Either that, or eventually just write her out of the series. I've been thinking about maybe eventually having her and Pietro get together. Let me know what you think of that.**

**Well, I'll end here. Don't want this to get too long. PM me if you have specific questions about the original post-Decimation timeline.**

**Next chapter will see the rest of the New Avengers arriving at the Facility, and Tony meeting future Morgan. We'll also see the existence of Thane revealed to the Avengers.**

**Until next time, please leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter. It should hopefully be up soon.**


	10. Chapter 10- Avengers meet New Avengers

**Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. I just started school back up, so updates will be less often.**

**This will be an int****eresting chapter, as it will see Tony returning to the fold, and him meeting future Morgan.**

**I hope you enioy this chapter. **

Ultimatrix bearer: She is a bit excessive. In this, Kara nicknamed her that.

Guest: Galactus may yet appear.

Green Hal37: You'll get an answer on Morgan's codename this chapter. As for Thor and Banner, you'll find out soon enough.

**Guest:** They work as aCSI team for CCPD

* * *

. Chapter 10- Avengers meet New Avengers

Oliver pulls the car up the cabin. "Are you sure this is the place?" he asks, admiring the large cabin.

"Definitely. Tony left us with his address in case we really, really needed him," Steve responds.

"Alright. Well, let's go see him," Oliver says as he turns off the car. He and Steve walk out and slowly walk towards the front door. When they get there, Steve knocks on the door.

A few moments later, Pepper answers the door. She smiles sweetly at them. "Steve. Oliver. So good to see you? What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Hey, Pepper. We need to talk to Tony about something important," Oliver says.

"Of course. Come in. He's just putting Morgan down for a nap," Pepper says. The two men nod and follow her into the cabin.

"Wait here. I'll go get him," Pepper says as they enter the living room. They nod and wait as Pepper walks up the stairs. They wait for a minute before Tony comes walking back down the stairs.

As Tony sees the two of them, he stops for a moment. "Well. What a surprise" he says as he walks the rest of the way down the stairs.

"Hello, Tony. How are you?" Steve asks politely.

"Pretty good all things considered. I think I've lost more sleep in the last 4 months with Morgan crying at random hours of the night than I ever have," Tony says sarcastically, drawing a bit of a grin from Steve and Oliver.

"Tony. We need to talk to you about something," Oliver says.

"Well, I didn't think you came for a social visit, so I figured you wanted to talk. What do you want?" Tony responds.

"You may find this hard to believe. But we got some visitors from the future. Barry's kids travelled back from almost 30 years in the future," Oliver says.

Tony raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?" he asks.

"Tony, you've heard before that Barry can time travel. You remember his story about Flashpoint. You really think this isn't possible?" Steve asks.

Tony shrugs. "Okay. Fair point. And why did they come back to this time?" he asks.

"They want to help us retake the Stones, and they say they have a plan for how to do that," Steve responds.

Tony's face mostly remains emotionless, but they can see a bit of spark in his eyes.

"How?" he demands.

"We don't know. They didn't want to tell us their plan yet. Because, apparently, it can't succeed without you. They wanted to wait until you came back to the Facility before they told us their plan," Steve says.

Tony is quiet for a moment. Then, he says, "I can't, Steve. I've found everything I've ever wanted. I've got a wife. I've got a daughter. I can't risk that."

"Tony, we get that. But so many people lost so much. Your daughter has her mother. Nora and Stephen don't. Pepper has already done what she can to help Barry after he lost Wanda. How about you help too by helping us get her and everyone else back?" Oliver challenges him.

Tony looks right at Oliver. Then, they hear a creak on the stairs, and they hear Pepper say, "You have to, Tony."

Everyone turns and looks as Pepper comes down the stairs. She looks at Tony and says, "We got really lucky, Tony. So many people didn't. If Nora and Stephen really came back, they did it not just to save everyone, but to get their mother back. If it were Morgan in their place, you wouldn't hesitate. I know you, Tony. Eventually, you won't be able to rest, knowing you can do something."

Tony looks at his wife, before he finally sighs and says, "Alright. I'll go. And I'll listen. But no promises."

Oliver glances at Steve, a small, confident grin on his face.

* * *

(New Avengers Facility)

"So, how did you meet John?" Barry asks Nora and Stephen. Since breakfast, the three of them, along with Pietro, have just been talking outside the Facility, with Barry trying to learn about their adventures as XS and the Silver Flash.

"We met him when we travelled to what was left of Star City. He was trying to take down a crime lord who set up shop there. We helped him out, and after some adventures together, he decided to join us in Central City," Nora says.

Barry smiles a little bit. As he's about to ask another question, all four of them hear the sound of a car engine. They turn and see a car driving along the long driveway up to the Facility. The car pulls up and stops several yards away. The doors open and Oliver and Steve step out of the front seats, with Tony climbing out of back seat.

Tony walks up to Barry, and stops short, the two staring at each other. The two didn't really speak after Carol returned Tony to Earth after the Decimation, so they really haven't talked at all since the fight in Siberia. As they stare at each other, Tony is getting the feeling that Barry hasn't forgiven him for what happened.

"I'm sorry for tranqing you in Siberia, Barry. And for what Ross put you through," Tony says, as he knew from the moment he saw Barry in the Raft that Ross was unjustly punishing Barry because of his grudge.

Barry just looks at Tony for a moment before stepping right in front of him. "You betrayed us, Tony," he says simply.

"I know. And I apologize. I know you're not gonna forgive me anytime soon. But if I'm gonna work with you guys on this, I need to know if we're good," Tony responds.

Barry looks at Tony for a moment, then punches him in the arm. Tony groans a bit, and Barry, looking a little pleased with himself, says, "Now we're good."

Tony shakes his head. "Natasha has been a bad influence on you," he says.

Barry is quiet for a moment before he says, "I don't forgive you yet, Tony. Not completely. But for now, yes, we're good. If you're willing to put the past in the past, then so am I." Tony just nods.

Then, he notices Nora and Stephen. He looks at the two of them for a moment before he says, "So. You two must be our visitors from the future."

"Yes. I'm Nora," Nora says.

"And I'm Stephen," Stephen responds.

Tony examines them for a moment. "Hmm. Suits aren't too bad. Maybe after this is over, I can work on some better ones for you to take back to the future," he says.

Nora smirks a bit, then says, "Well, I think now that Tony's here, I think we should bring the rest of our team here, too." She looks at Stephen and Pietro, nods, then the three race off.

Barry, Steve, Oliver, and Tony all look at each other. Then, there's a series of flashes of lightning, and soon, Nora, Stephen, and Pietro are all standing in front of them again, but this time, they have John, Jenna, Zoe, Danai, William, Cassie, and Azari standing behind them.

Barry, Steve, Oliver, and Tony all look at the team in surprise. "Well. Quite a team you've got," Tony says.

Nora grins, excited for this. "We're not done," she says. Right then, Bobby comes sailing up on an ice bridge, landing next to them. A few moments later, Morgan lands in front of them, then stands. Her suit retracts back into its housing unit, revealing her face to everybody.

Tony looks at Morgan, feeling a sense of familiarity as he does. He then notices she's looking at him in slight shock, and with tears in her eyes. After a few moments, Morgan rushes towards her father and embraces him.

Tony stands there for a moment before slowly and hesitantly returning the hug. After a few moments, Morgan says in a choked up voice, "I never thought I'd see you again."

Tony looks down at her in confusion. "Do I know you?" he asks.

Morgan pulls back and looks at Tony, tears still in her eyes. "Really? You don't recognize me, Dad?" she asks with an air of humor.

Tony's eyes widen at the revelation. It takes him a few moments before he's able to get out, "Morgan?"

Morgan nods. "You didn't think I wouldn't grab the chance to go back in time and meet my dad, do you?" she asks sarcastically.

Tony just stares at her for another moment before asking, "Wait. I'm dead where you come from?"

Morgan nods. "Yes. When I was just a few years old," she says, her voice getting more emotional.

Tony looks her over. "You made your own suit?" he asks.

Morgan smiles. "Yeah. I took to calling myself Ironheart. I wanted to be a hero. Like you," she says.

Tony embraces his daughter. They remain hugging for a minute before Tony lets go, looking at Nora and Stephen. "Alright. I'll help. Let's get inside, and you can tell me the plan."

* * *

(A while later)

Tony leans back, digesting what he's just been told. After introducing the rest of the New Avengers (Jenna was very happy to meet Barry, and William being very glad at being reunited with Oliver, as was John), Nora and Stephen had retold their story that they told yesterday, including how they learned to time travel.

"Well. That's quite a story. Glad to hear we have some real villains to look forward to," Tony says.

"Not if we can reverse the Decimation. If we can, the timeline will change, and maybe you won't have to face them," Nora says optimistically.

"Well. Looks like you inherited your godfather's optimism," Tony says with a smirk.

Nora smiles a bit as she looks at Steve. Then, Tony asks, "So, why don't you finally tell us all what your plan is to retake the Infinity Stones?"

Nora and Stephen look at each other, then say, "We'll let Bobby and Jenna explain." Everyone's attention turns to the two indicated heroes.

"Right after Nora and Stephen left to go back in time for the first time, while we were waiting in Wakanda for them return, our systems detected a ship entering Earth's atmosphere and landing just north of Wakanda. Bobby and I went out to investigate it," Jenna begins.

Bobby cuts in. "When we found the ship, we found it had just one inhabitant. An alien who looked a lot like a man, except for his skin. When we asked why he had come to Earth, he said he had come because he detected time travel, and thought his chance had come. We grilled him about who he was, and after we told him we were the New Avengers, he seemed to trust us, and he introduced himself as Thane, the son of Thanos," he says.

Barry, Oliver, Steve, Tony, Rhodey (who had returned an hour ago), and Natasha all looked stunned. "Wait. The son of Thanos?" Steve asks. Jenna nods.

"But all of Thanos' children were killed during the struggle for the Infinity Stones," Oliver says in protest, remembering Thanos' four children he met on the Statesman.

"Yes. You're right. But he said those who were killed the Children of Thanos were all adopted by Thanos. But, unlike them, Thane is Thanos' biological son," Jenna responds.

There is quiet for a moment before Tony says, "I feel disgusted on so many levels."

"Tell me about it," Bobby mutters.

"What did this Thane want from you?" Steve asks.

"He wanted to help us. Like his adopted sisters Gamora and Nebula, he turned against his father. But unlike Gamora and Nebula, he didn't wait to rebel against Thanos. He left Thanos and struck out on his own. Apparently, besides his genocidal conquests, trying to track down Thane was one of Thanos' priorities. But Thane managed to escape his father for decades," Jenna says.

"When we talked to him, he said that after the Decimation, he started trying to figure out how to reverse it. He came to Earth because he believed that the real chance to reverse the Decimation was in the past, and that if we came back in time, we could work with you guys and with Thane's past self to find the Stones. He said that in the months after the Decimation, he learned some things that could help us find the Stones and retake them. He gave us a video message to give to his past self, that he said would convince the Thane of this time to help us," Bobby says.

The team is quiet for a moment. After a moment, Natasha asks, "Do you have the message?"

William steps forward and holds up the device that Thane gave Jenna and Bobby. "Yeah. Right here," he says.

Natasha reaches out her hand, and William hands her the device. She inspects it for a moment, then says, "I think I know how we can find this Thane." She then walks over to the table where the communication device that connects her to the rest of the team is resting. She presses a few buttons, then waits. After a minute, a hologram pops up of Carol.

"Natasha," Carol says in greeting.

"Carol. Get back to Earth ASAP. We need you to find somebody," Natasha responds.

"Who?" Carol asks.

"The person who may be the one who can help us bring everybody back," Natasha says.

Carol is quiet for a moment before she says, "I'm on my way."

* * *

**I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter.**

**The main reason for this chapter was to show Tony meeting future Morgan, and brining Carol back into the game. She's gonna end up being the one to find Thane, obviously, and will play a role in the hunt for the Stones.**

**Next chapter will show Pietro running a special errand, and the introduction of present day Thane. It should be good.**

**Well, until then, leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11- Finding Thane

**Alright, back with another chapter. I hadn't planned to have this up for a while, but I just had my car completely break down, putting me in a very difficult situation, and needed to relieve some stress through writing.**

**This chapter will mostly be about finding Thane, but will include a little errand by Pietro.**

**Let's get to it.**

**Ultimatrix bearer**: Since I probably won't include T'Challa having a kid during this series, I decided to just use the name Azari for the son of Okoye and W'Kabi. If you haven't read Avengers of the Future, go check that out. I explain it more in that story, near the end.

* * *

Chapter 11- Finding Thane

Natasha sighs a bit as she scans the sky. It's been almost 24 hours since she contacted Carol. Honestly, she had been expecting Carol to be there quicker, given how quickly she arrived after the Decimation.

"Any sign of her, yet?' Oliver asks as he walks up beside Natasha as they stare into the darkening sky.

"No, nothing yet," Natasha says.

The two are quiet for a moment before Oliver asks, "What do you think of Nora and Stephen's plan? Or, I guess I should say, the New Avengers' plan?"

"I think it's risky. Putting our trust in the son of Thanos, who we really don't know anything about, nor do they…it's dangerous. But they seem to believe that Thane can help us. And if they believe in this so strongly, then I'm willing to trust in them," Natasha responds.

"And what do you think about what they told us about the future? And that warlord from the future who kills us all? Kang?" Oliver asks.

"Well. I think we know from Barry's past actions that changing the past can cause drastic changes to the timeline. If we succeed and reverse the Decimation…maybe we'll never have to deal with this Kang. And even if we do, this time around, we'll have a lot more people to fight with us," Natasha says optimistically.

Oliver smiles. "From what I've heard, you didn't always use to be so optimistic," he says in a slight teasing tone.

Natasha smiles. "I guess being around Allen has rubbed off on me," she says. Oliver smiles at her.

Suddenly, they hear something coming from the sky. The two of them look up, and see a bright light streaking down towards them. A moment later, Carol lands right in front.

"Hey. What do you got for me?" she asks simply.

Natasha holds up the device. "Barry's children travelled back in time from the future, and said that in their time, they met a guy called Thane, who claimed to be the son of Thanos. He said that in this time, he had discovered some secrets that would let us reverse the Decimation. He gave them this device, which contains a video message that would convince him to help us. We need you to find Thane, show him the message, and bring him back here," she explains.

Carol reaches out and takes the device, examining it. She then looks at Natasha and asks, "Did they give you any idea of where to find him?"

"Umm, no," Natasha admits.

Carol just nods. "Alright. It may take me a while to find him, but I'll find him. Did they tell you what he looks like?" she responds.

"No, but you should be able to play the message and get an image of him," Natasha responds.

Carol nods. "Alright. I'll find him. It may take me a while, but I'll find him," she says before taking off and soaring off into the atmosphere. The two watch as she flies off.

* * *

(San Francisco)

On the other coast of the US, dusk is beginning to set in in San Francisco as the sun is beginning to set. In a slightly less populated area of the city, Pietro is racing through the streets. Earlier that day, along with William's help, he had located a storage unit in this part of San Francisco where a van that had been used by Scott Lang had been stored after he disappeared. If their assumption was right, this was where to find Scott.

Pietro speeds to the storage facility. He phases through the wall of the place, speeds up to the control room and knocks out the guard, then speeds to the Lang unit. Arriving there, he sees the van parked in the middle of the unit.

Pietro walks up to the front of the van and opens the door, hopping into the driver's seat. He examines the controls before he finds the right button, which he promptly pushes. Behind him, in the back of the van, the Quantum tunnel begins to power up. After about ten seconds, the back doors of the van burst open as Scott Lang is flung out of the Qunatum tunnel.

Scott groans as he throws some rubbish off him and retracts his helmet. He quickly pats down some sparks on his suit, then pushes himself up into a sitting position. He immediately notices that his surroundings are not what they were when he went into the Quantum Realm.

"Hope?" he asks.

"Good to see you alive, Scott," Pietro responds as he steps into view. Scott looks at Pietro warily.

"Who are you?" he asks.

"Pietro Maximoff. You may have met my sister, Wanda," Pietro responds.

"Oh. You're Wanda's brother?" Scott asks. Pietro nods.

Scott looks around. "What the h*** happened?" he asks.

"It's a long story. And I'll wait to tell you. We need to get back to the Avengers Facility," Pietro says.

Scott just looks at Pietro for a moment, wondering what's going on, before he stands up and nods.

"Alright. Let's go," Scott responds. Pietro nods with a grin, and then he and Scott vanish in a flash of lightning.

* * *

(Space, two weeks later)

Carol streaks through space, heading towards her next destination. She's been searching for Thane for two weeks, and just recently got a clue as to where he might have recently gone. Now, she is on her way to investigate.

Very soon, the planet she heard Thane could be found on comes into view. Or rather, what's left of it. The remnants of Krypton.

Carol streaks down towards the surface, scanning the broken land beneath her for signs of life. As those who know if it know, the surviving Kryptonians abandoned the planet before it was destroyed. Now, the broken planet, though still somewhat intact, is entirely devoid of life. If Thane is down there, it won't be hard to spot him.

After just a minute, she spots a ship set down next to a canyon. She soars down towards the canyon, scanning for Thane. It doesn't take long before she spots a figure at the bottom of the canyon, rummaging over a pile of rock.

Carol smiles a bit as she soars down, landing a few feet from Thane. Thane whips around to face her, his hands glowing brightly, ready to attack.

The two stare at each other for a few moments before Thane says, "Well, well. Captain Marvel."

"Thane. Son of Thanos," Carol replies.

Thane narrows his eyes. "How do you know who I am?" he demands.

"Because. I've been sent to find you. Some friends of mine and I need your help," she responds.

"Why? Why should I believe you, and why should I help you?" Thane demands.

Carol smiles a bit as she holds out the device and activates it. A moment later, a holographic image of future-Thane pops up.

"This message is for my past self. If you are seeing this message, then I have finally found a way to get this back to the past. I have waited for years for this chance, and if you're seeing this, then it has finally come," future-Thane says. He pauses, then says, "You know the things you have discovered over the past year. Particularly regarding the Infinity Stones, and Thanos' plan. If you are seeing this message, then the person who has given it to you must be someone who can help you employ that information to reverse the Decimation and finally stop Thanos. You must trust them, and help them. If you don't, then Thanos will never be defeated, and you will remain a fugitive forever. Trust them. And help them."

The hologram disappears. Carol looks at Thane, who is staring at the device, processing this message from his future self. After a few moments, Carol asks, "Well. What do you say?"

Thane looks up at her. Then, he begins to smile a bit. "Well. It's glad to see I remained smart through the years," he says, almost to himself. Then, looking right into her eyes, he asks, "Why are you willing to trust me?"

"Because me, and my friends, will work with just about anybody who can help us undo this. We may not know you, but we're willing to trust you if you'll help us," Carol responds.

Thane looks at her in silence for a few moments before saying, "Very well. If you're willing to trust me, then I'm willing to trust you. I'll help you."

Carol grins in response. "Well, then. Let's get back to Earth."

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope you liked me having Thane being found on Krypton-99. What he was doing there may play into the story later. Also, I did this to set up the possibility for Universe-99 to have its own Superman, who probably won't show up for a very long time. Also, in this universe, Krypton wasn't destroyed like Krypton-38 (aka Kara's Krypton). The reason why may come into play later on in this series.**

**And yes, Pietro was the one to go rescue Scott. Scott will meet future Cassie next chapter, for those wondering.**

**Alright. That's enough for now. Leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12- Bonding

**Hey, guys. Back with another chapter. Fridays are actually my least busy day of the week (and yes, I'm including the weekend), so you're likely to get updates each Friday, at least.**

**This chapter is gonna be very short, and isn't too important. But, it transitions into the next chapter, which is gonna be crucial. So, just bear with me.**

**Let's get to it. I hope the chapter title is alright. It's the best I could think of.**

* * *

Chapter 12- Bonding

Barry grins like crazy as he, Nora, and Stephen race around the facility, enjoying the feeling of freedom that comes from running. After a nice breakfast, he had suggested that the three of them have a race around the Facility. Nora and Stephen had quickly accepted, eager to test themselves against their father.

Barry laughs to himself as he glances back at his son and daughter, who are trying their hardest to keep up with him. Despite pushing themselves to their limit, they haven't quite been able to keep up with him. As he watches them, he realizes that he hasn't felt this happy since Wanda died.

Suddenly, behind the twins, Pietro comes speeding out of nowhere, passing Nora and Stephen and gaining slowly on Barry. Barry pushes himself faster, but within moment, Pietro is neck and neck with him. The two look at each other before Pietro smirks at Barry as he says teasingly, "Slowpoke."

"Oh, it's on, Pietro," Barry says, trying to spur himself faster. They complete about another dozen laps around the perimeter fence before realizing that neither is gonna beat the other anytime soon. They come skidding to a stop, both smirking at each other.

"Wow. Didn't think you'd be able to keep up with me," Barry says with a chuckle. Pietro just laughs in return.

A second later, Nora and Stephen race up, both smiling. "That was so fun!" Nora says cheerfully.

Barry smiles at his daughter. "Even if you were too slow," he says teasingly.

"Hey!" Nora says in protest, causing both Barry and Pietro to laugh.

Barry walks up to Nora and gives her a hug. "Hey. I may have been faster, but I'm still very proud of you and how far you've come," he says. Nora smiles, a tear in her eye, as she hugs her father back.

When the two separate, Barry looks at his two children. A tear starts to well up in his eye. "You two remind me so much of me and your mother," he says.

"In more ways than one," Stephen says. Barry looks at him curiously.

Stephen grins. "When we came back to Earth-1, we decided to try and join the CCPD. Took us a while to convince them, but Cisco put in a good word, and we ended up getting hired as CSI techs. Just like you," he says.

Barry looks at the two in surprise, then with pride. "Well. Then, I guess maybe you took after me a bit more than your mom," he says, drawing some chuckles from the group.

Pietro steps up beside Barry. "You did a pretty good job raising them, Barry," he says.

Barry's smile falters a bit. "Except I didn't," he says.

"Yes, you did. You may not have raised them to adulthood. But you raised them for a year. And you gave up your life to try and bring their mother back," Pietro says.

"Dad, I know you feel like you failed us. But, you didn't. Even after you disappeared, your legacy and example inspired us to become who we are. And don't forget. We're here to help you bring mom back, so you don't have to disappear, and you will get to raise us to adulthood," Nora says.

Barry smiles at his daughter, another tear coming to his eye. Stephen smiles and adds, "Don't worry, Dad. After we're done here, you'll be able to keep being the dad you've always wanted to be."

Barry smiles at his son, then reaches out and embraces them both. "I am so proud of the man and woman you've become," he says.

The twins smile as they embrace their father back. Then, Pietro says, "Family hug time!" as he walks up and embraces them all, drawing laughs from everybody.

Suddenly, they hear something from up above them. Looking up, they are surprised to see a ship descending through the low clouds. It is painted deep black and gold, and looks like it's built for speed.

The family separates as they look up at the ship. They look at each other for a moment, then back at the ship before hurrying over to where it's landing.

The four speedsters wait as the ship sets down, and then the boarding ramp lowers. A moment later, Carol comes walking down the ramp, followed closely by an alien that they automatically assume is Thane.

"Welcome back, Carol," Barry says in greeting.

"Barry," she says in return.

Nora and Stephen eye Thane. "Is this him?" Nora asks.

Carol looks back at Thane and nods. "Yup. This is him," she says.

Thane looks them over. "These are your friends?" he asks.

"Some of them," Carol says.

Thane looks them over for a few minutes. Then, he narrows his eyes before saying, "You're speedsters, aren't you?"

Barry and the others feel surprised. "How do you know?" he asks.

"I see with more than just the naked eye," Thane responds.

The group is quiet before Thane says, "Alright. Gather your team. I have a plan to reverse the Decimation and defeat my father once and for all."

* * *

**And, that's it. I know. It's super short. But I mainly just wanted to get to Thane getting to Earth, and wanted to show a little bit of bonding between Barry, the twins, and Pietro.**

**Also, for those wondering, I based Pietro and Barry's competition moment and Slowpoke remark from the brief first encounter between Flash and Superman in the Justice League movie where Superman says that to Flash.**

**Next chapter will be longer, and will explain some of Thane's backstory, and his plan. I hope you're excited for it.**

**Well, that's it for now. Leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13- Thane's Plan

**Alright, everybody. Back with another chapter.**

**This will get into Thane's plan to reverse the Decimation, and will include a twist I'm sure none of you were expecting. Also, just to be clear, I imagine Thane's appearance, namely his skin color and outfit, to be the same as from the comics. Also, the contents of this chapter was actually initially intended to be two chapters (not sure how I expected to extend it over two chapters), but I decided to combine them while writing this. In turn, another chapter I had planned is going to be split in two.**

**Let's get to it. **

**warlocktongue:** Natasha and Oliver haven't admitted they like each other yet, but that won't stay that way. Within the next few chapters, before they set off to find the Stones, they're gonna make it official.

* * *

Chapter 13- Thane's Plan

Everyone is quiet as they all stare at Thane. Hungry after a long trip, Thane had requested to wait a minute to talk to the team in order to get a bite to eat. The team is just watching him, intrigued by his appearance, and some concerned about the glow around his hands.

Growing too impatient, Tony asks, "So, you're Thanos' son?"

Thane looks up at Tony. "Yes, I am. Though I assure you I am not proud of the fact," he says.

Tony nods. Then, still feeling a little impatient, he asks, "So, do you actually have a plan for us here?"

Thane swallows the last bite of his sandwich, then slowly stands. He folds his arms, then says, "You need to learn patience, Tony Stark."

Tony looks at Thane in surprise. "You know my name?" he asks in surprise.

Thane smirks a bit. "My father isn't the only one who researched the Avengers," he responds.

Again, it's quiet for a moment. Finally, Natasha asks, "Why did you abandon your father, Thane?"

Thane looks at Natasha, his face growing serious again. "My father never told me the story of my conception and birth, but I do know he took me from my mother at a young age. As with my other siblings," he says, glancing at Nebula as he says this, "He attempted to indoctrinate me into his method of thinking. When I was younger, I was more impressionable. My powers were used by my father to terrible effects. However, as I grew older, I began to grow suspicious of my father's plan. I begin to think beyond what my father just told me to think, and I began to believe for myself that my father was wrong, and that the eventual disaster my father believed would eventually occur may never happen."

Thane pauses, then says, "I confronted my father about it. As you Terrans might say, he flipped his lid. He was not pleased with me, and I ran from his presence, hoping he might calm down. He did not. He ordered my adopted brother, Ebony Maw, to bring me back to him to punish me for attempting to challenge his idea. However, I was able to stop him using my powers, and was able to escape. I struck out on my own, determined to either find proof for my father to stop his plans, or to find a way to stop my father from completing his plans."

"For almost two decades, I have traveled the universe. I have investigated various ways to finally stop my father. I have also delved deep into the mysteries of the universe, not only to find potential advantages or weapons to use against my father, but also to gain a greater understanding of the universe. I was on the ruins of the planet Krypton, studying the mysterious mineral known as Kryptonite, when Carol found me," Thane explains.

There are several nods. Then, Bobby asks, "When we met your future self in 2046, he said that by this point in history, you had discovered several things that would critical to retake the Stones and reverse the Decimation. What is it that you've found?"

Thane begins to grin. "Since the Decimation, I have thrown almost all of my research into finding out what happened during the struggle for the Stones and its immediate aftermath. With what I have discovered, I thought I would never be able to accomplish this on my own. But, if my future self thinks that this will work, then by all means, I'm willing to help out here."

"So what is it you've found that can help us retake the Stones?" Barry asks.

Thane smiles a bit at Barry. "My father did not initially go about his goal of eliminating half of all life intending to do so by using the Stones. It took a very long time for him to realize that he would never accomplish this by himself, and now knowing of the Stones, he decided to pursue the Stones while still continuing his campaign of conquests. Eventually, as you all know, he gathered the Infinity Stones, used them and the banished them across the universe to prevent them from being found again. He hoped that a search that took him centuries would be impossible for you to complete in your lifetime. While ordinarily, he would've been right, he did not realize we had the means to locate the Stones very quickly."

"How?" Tony demands.

Thane continues to grin. "My father thinks he gathered all the Stones to wipe out the universe. In truth, he didn't."

Everything is quiet for a moment before Tony asks, "Wait, are saying what I think you're saying?"

Thane smirks. "Yes, Tony Stark. There is a seventh Infinity Stone," he says.

Everyone sits there, stunned into silence. It's Steve that breaks the silence. "Wait. How is there a seventh Stone?" he asks.

"The Infinity Stones were born in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang, each one meant to control an essential aspect of existence. However, they were not created immediately. There was one thing that came into existence the moment the first subatomic particle sprang forth from the Big Bang. Something that our speedster friends here are familiar with," he says.

Barry's eyes widen. "The Speed Force," he says.

Thane nods. "Yes. And as the Speed Force was born, the first of the Infinity Stones was born, as a physical representation of the Speed Force, to control the Speed Force as the other Stones were created to control their respective aspects of existence. The Speed Stone. Perhaps the most powerful and dangerous of the Infinity Stones, and the least known," he says.

He pauses for a moment, then says, "The Speed Stone was unique among the Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones share a connection. However, the Speed Force has less of a connection to the Stones than the rest of them. Add to that, the Speed Stone vanished a long time ago. It is perhaps for these reasons my father was able to complete his goal without needing the Speed Stone."

Everyone is quiet before Barry asks, "How do you even know about the Speed Force?"

"Like I told you, I have done extensive research for decades to unearth the mysteries of the universe. Among my discoveries were the existence of the Speed Force, and even the existence of the multiverse," Thane says.

"Okay. So, you're saying there's a seventh Stone. How is that supposed to help us find and retake the others?" Tony asks.

"Because. As I said, the Stones share a connection. Though the connection between the Speed Stone and the rest of the Stones is not as strong, it is still there. Also, the Infinity Stones have a unique energy signature that has no comparison. While the signature differs from Stone to Stone, due to each Stone being different in what it controls, the signatures are similar enough that if you have one of the Stones, and know exactly what to look for, you can use the energy signature of the Stone you have to track down the energy signatures of the remaining Stones. If we can get the Stone, we can use it to track down the rest of the Infinity Stones," Thane explains.

Everyone is a bit quiet. Then, Tony asks, "Okay. So, where can we find the Speed Stone?"

Thane smiles again. "You already know where. Because a number of you have already had an encounter with the Speed Stone," he says.

Everyone is quiet for several moments. Then, Barry's eyes shoot wide open. "The Philosopher's Stone!"

Thane nods. "Yes. I made a brief trip here to Terra a few months ago. In the process, I learned that an ancient civilization in the land you now call India discovered the Speed Stone, and considered a gift from the gods. However, thousands of years ago, the Stone was stolen, and never reappeared. Until a few years ago," he says.

Barry looks around at everyone. "It was Savitar. He must have come to this Earth thousands of years ago and stolen the Stone. He must have brought it to Earth-1, and that's where the legend of the Brahmastra rose up," he says.

"Indeed," Thane responds.

Everyone's attention turns back to him. He smiles and says, "If we can get the Speed Stone, then we can use it to find the rest of the Stones. It may take some time to scan the universe for their signature, but we can do it."

Barry turns to look at Tony. "Tony. You were the one who took the Stone after we defeated Savitar. What did you do with it?"

"I shifted it between various hiding spots over the last few years. But, after I decided to move into our new place with Pepper, the Stone was one of the things I took with me," Tony reveals.

"Where is it?" Barry asks.

"In a safe in our garage," Tony says. Before he can get out another word, Barry takes off.

It's not too long before he races up to Tony's house. He knocks on the door, and a moment later, Pepper answers the door.

"Barry!" she says in surprise. She gives him a hug, asking, "How are Nora and Stephen?"

"They're good, Pepper. But that's not why I'm here," he says before pulling away from Pepper. He looks at her seriously and says, "I've come because I need the stone that Savitar used. Tony says it's in the garage."

At the mention of Savitar, Pepper's face falls a bit, then she nods. "Of course. I'll show you where it is," she says. She takes Barry around the house to the garage. When they get there, she leads him to one of several safes in the garage, and quickly opens it. Inside is a small box, just big enough to hold the Stone.

"Thank you, Pepper," Barry says, grabbing the box and speeding off again.

It doesn't take him long before he's back at the Facility, speeding back into the room where everyone is gathered.

"I've got it," Barry says, setting the box down. Everyone looks as he opens the box, revealing the Philosopher's Stone, or as they now know it, the Speed Stone.

Barry slowly picks it up, turning it in his hand. He looks at Thane and asks, "We can really use this to track down the other Stones?"

"Yes, we can. Like I said, it may take some time, but it will work. But, that is going to be the easy part," he says.

Everyone looks at him. "What do you mean?" Steve asks.

"I am aware of the message my father left you, in which he said he set guards over the Stones. Well, I think that's actually worse than you thought. A few months ago, I infiltrated my father's ship, and found my four adopted siblings that you all killed in the struggle for the Stones, and they were all alive. If he brought them back to young, he may have done the same in order to protect the Stones. I think that my father may have used the Stones to resurrect some of your past enemies and set them as guards over the Stones," Thane explains.

Everyone sits there, stunned into silence. Finally, Barry asks, "Are you kidding me?"

"No," Thane responds simply.

"How could he force them to do that?" Rhodey asks.

"He has the Infinity Stones. It would not be crazy to think he could use the Stones to bend them to his will after resurrecting them," Thane says.

"Do you know who?" Steve asks, already knowing the answer.

"No. I obviously don't know where the Stones are, and I found no record of it on my father's ship, nor did I hear mention of it," Thane says.

Steve nods. Then, Tony says, "So, basically, we have no way of knowing which of our old enemies Thanos has guarding the Stones, or how many of them?" Thane simply nods in response.

Everything is quiet. Then, Oliver speaks up and says, "Well, then. Looks like we're gonna need reinforcements."

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter.**

**So, yes. In the MACU, in Universe-99, there are seven Stones, not six. This isn't something that doesn't have a basis. There have been examples of seventh Infinity Stones in the comics in various storylines. One was the Ego Stone, which held the consciousness of the entity Nemesis, and could recreate her when united with the other Stones. Another seventh Stone was the Death Stone, which was created through the use of the Reality Stone. Another one, one meant for comedy, was the Continuity Stone, which has appeared once in a Deadpool comic where it allowed Deadpool to talk to the comic book writers. I learned about these additional Stones when I was researching the history of the Stones in the comics, and when I was watching one of the Flash season 3 episodes, I came up with the idea to have the Philosopher's Stone secretly be a seventh Stone. Because, given how the Infinity Stones were created, I thought it fair that there would be an Infinity Stone that represented the Speed Force.**

**Alright. That's it for now. Also, just wanted to put this out there. You only have a few more chapters before we get to the first battle for one of the Stones. If you haven't already left a vote for villains you'd like to see as guards, make sure you do it soon. And if you already have, and would like to add to your vote, then leave a review with your additions.**

**Alright. Leave a review, and stay tuned for the next one.**


	14. Chapter 14- Building the Team

**Alright, everybody. Back with another chapter. And in this one, we're gonna see a lot of our Arrowverse friends that are still alive come to Earth-99. Oh, and Clint, of course.**

**Let's get to it. **

**JazzLover20:** The Legends actually won't show up until the final battle. Sorry.

**Guest:** Yes.. In _Avengers of the Future_, Scott never got out of the Quantum Realm.

* * *

Chapter 14- Building the Team

"So, Barry didn't say where he was going?" Iris asks.

Cisco shakes his head. "Nope. Not a word. Just said he had something important that he needed to do, and he needed Caitlin and me to watch the kids," he says. As he says this, Caitlin is trying to entertain the twins in the corner.

"Well, this isn't like him," Iris says.

"It's fine, Iris. Maybe this is a sign that he's getting back to normal," Joe says. Iris just nods, not voicing the fact that that is just what she's worried about, and that he might start pulling away from her again.

Suddenly, there's a beeping. Iris looks at the computer screen and says, "There's energy coming from the breach room."

Everyone looks at each other, and then Joe and Caitlin pick up the twins, and they all head down to the breach room.

As they all enter the breach room, they all stop and stare. Standing in front of them is not just Barry, but Oliver, a young man and woman wearing speedster suits, a man about Barry's age with white hair, a woman with red hair with blonde tips, and a young black woman wearing a purple uniform.

There is silence for a few moments before Joe asks, "Barry. Where have you been? And who are all these people?"

Barry smiles, then puts his arm around the young man and woman standing on either side of him, wearing the suits like his. "Well, first off. Everybody, I'd like you to all meet Nora and Stephen. From the future," he says.

The team stands there in shock before Joe says, "I'm sorry, what?"

Stephen smiles. "You heard him right, Papa Joe. In the year 2046, me and Nora learned how to travel back in time, and so we did. We travelled back to this time to meet our dad," he says.

"Wait. Meet him?" Cisco asks.

"Yeah. In the timeline we come from, Dad disappeared a week after the first anniversary of the Decimation when travelling back in time to try and reverse the Decimation," Nora explains

Everyone is quiet before Barry then turns and puts a hand on Pietro's shoulder. "And…this is my brother in law, and Wanda's twin, Pietro Maximoff," he says proudly. Pietro smiles at the Earth-1 natives.

"I thought Pietro died," Joe asks.

"We thought he did. But, in reality, Nora and Stephen took him into the Speed Force, which healed him," Barry explains.

Everyone is quiet again for a moment before the red haired woman steps forward and says, "My name is Natasha Romanoff. I'm one of Barry's old teammates." She then looks at Cisco and says, "Good to see you again, Ramon."

"You too, Natasha," Cisco responds.

Natasha smiles, then fixes her eyes on Stephen. She walks towards Joe and says, "Alright. Hand over my godson." Joe holds him out, and little Stephen beams.

"Nat!" he cries, knowing her by that nickname thanks to Barry. Natasha smiles as she takes him into her arms.

Joe then looks at the last new arrival. "And who are you?" he asks her.

She begins to cry, then runs up to Joe and embraces him. Joe looks down at her in surprise, not sure what to do.

After a moment, she says, "I never thought I'd see you again, Dad."

Joe looks shocked. "Jenna?" he asks.

Jenna nods, tears flowing down her cheeks. After a moment, Joe embraces her back. "My little girl. You're so big," he says, drawing a laugh from Jenna.

It takes a few more moments before the two separate. "How did you get back here?" Joe asks.

"I was a part of Nora and Stephen's team in the future. When they came back in time, they brought all of us back with them," Jenna explains.

"Wait. Why?" Iris asks.

"To reverse the Decimation," Nora says.

Joe, Iris, Wally, Caitlin, and Cisco all stand there in shock. Finally, Iris blurts out, "What?"

"The entire reason we came back is because we thought we might be able to reverse the Decimation. And now, we know we actually can," Stephen says.

"Wait. How?" Joe asks.

Barry launches into an explanation of all that's happened recently, including the New Avengers' arrival from the future, the existence of Thane, and Thane's plan to retake the Stones. By the end of his explanation, Team Flash is in complete shock.

"Really? I mean, do you really trust this Thane guy? This sounds a little too good to be true," Iris says.

"Yes, Iris. Preliminary research we've done on the Speed Stone has confirmed Thane's claim about it. Tony Stark has been working with Thane to use the Speed Stone to track down the other six. Meanwhile, we got tasked with bringing reinforcements to Earth-99. If we're gonna retake the Stones, we're gonna need as many people as possible in order to get past the guards that Thanos has set over the Stones," Barry explains.

"Okay. Who did you have in mind?" Cisco asks.

"Well, for one, you and Caitlin," Barry responds.

"What? Not me?" Wally complains.

"We can't leave Central City undefended. And we already have four speedsters. I thought it would be best for you to stay behind to protect the City," Barry says.

Wally looks ready to argue, but after a few moments, he sighs and mutters, "Alright."

"Do you need our help finding the others?" Caitlin asks.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I need you two to run on errand to Earth-2," he says.

* * *

(Earth-2, STAR Labs)

Harry sighs a bit as he prepares to leave STAR Labs for lunch. Suddenly, behind him, a breach opens. Harry turns to face it, curious. A moment later, Cisco and Caitlin walk out of it.

"Cisco. Caitlin. What brings you to Earth-2?" Harry asks.

"We need your help, Harry. Barry's friends on Earth-99 have a way to reverse the Decimation and bring everybody back, including Jesse. But we need your help to do it," Cisco says.

Harry stares at them in surprise for a few moments. Then, his face hardens, and he asks, "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

(Earth-1, Star City)

The night is mostly quiet in Star City. Ever since the Decimation, the city's population has dwindled, either through criminal activity or people moving away. Now, only about a third of the city's former population still lives there.

In an extremely bad section of the Glades, however, it is anything but silent. The sound of gunfire is near constant as the members of the Chinese Triad try desperately to fend off Vigilante and Deathstroke, the vigilantes that have taken up much of the slack left behind by Team Arrow.

Vincent jumps up from behind a car and fires off his FN SCAR assault rifle, gunning down three men. In the brief gap in the firing, Slade leaps out from an alley, using his sword cut down the men that attack him, and knock out those who don't. Before too long, every member of the Triad in the street is either dead or unconscious.

Slade and Vincent stand over the bodies of their victims, then turn to look at each other. "Once again, you impress me, Sobel," Slade says.

"Same to you," Vincent replies.

"Well, well. What a surprise to see you two taking my place."

Vincent and Slade whip around at the sound of the voice, Vincent aiming his SCAR at the man standing a few yards away from them in a green jacket, as Slade levels his sword at him.

"Who are you?" Slade demands.

The man is quiet for a moment, then pulls back his hood, revealing the face of Oliver Queen.

Slade's sword drops to his sword in surprise, and Sobel slowly lowers his assault rifle, also surprised. After a few moments, Slade says, "Kid?"

"Yeah, Slade. I'm back. Though I'm a little surprised to see you dealing so well," Oliver responds.

"Mirakuru wore off a long time ago, kid. But what are you doing back here? Where have you been?" Slade asks.

"During that alien invasion a few years back, I got sent to another Earth. And yes, I said that right. The theory of the multiverse is real. I only just found a way back to this one," Oliver explains.

It's quiet for a minute before Vincent says, "Did I hit my head too hard or something?"

Oliver chuckles. "No, Vincent. You haven't," he says.

"How do you know my name?" Vincent asks.

"I did my research," Oliver responds.

Again, it's quiet before Slade asks, "What are you doing here?"

Oliver looks right at Slade and says, "I'm here because I need your help. We have a way to reverse the Decimation, and bring everybody back that disappeared a year ago. I'm working with a team that is working to reverse it, but we need help. And I came to get your help, Slade."

Slade is quiet for a moment, then removes his mask as he starts to smile. He looks at Oliver and says, "You and me kid. Like old times."

Oliver grins a bit at his old friend, then looks at Vincent. "Vincent, I need you to stay here in Star City. This city still needs protecting. Help Curtis protect the city until we fix this," he says.

"You can count on me," Vincent replies.

Oliver nods, then looks back at Slade. "Well, Slade. We've been through a lot together. You ready to travel to another Earth together?"

* * *

(Coast City)

In a small apartment in downtown Coast City, Roy Harpers leans back in his recliner, drinking a beer. After Thea died in the Decimation, he had tried to move on, but the memories brought back by the first anniversary of the tragedy had driven him into a bit of a drinking habit.

Suddenly, there's a flash of lightning, and a moment later, Pietro is standing in the room just a few feet from Roy.

Roy reacts instantly, throwing the bottle at Pietro, who catches it without a problem. Pietro looks down at the bottle, then at Roy. "Really? That's all you've got, Roy Harper? Or should I call you Arsenal?" he asks.

Roy gets to his feet, glaring at Pietro. "How do you know either of those names?" he demands.

Pietro smiles. "Because. I'm Barry Allen's brother in law, and I know Oliver Queen. They told me who you were, and sent me to find you," he says.

Roy's eyes widen. "You know, Oliver? He's alive?" he asks.

"Yes and yes. And they sent me to find you because they need your help. We have a way to bring everyone back that disappeared a year ago, but we need all the help we can get. So, are you gonna help us, Harper?" he asks, extending a hand to him.

Roy looks at the offered hand for a few moments before taking it.

* * *

(Earth-1, Baltimore)

On the opposite coast of the United States, in Baltimore, in the neighborhood known as Cherry Hill, several gang members flee in a panic. They had been shocked a few days earlier when the travelling vigilante known as Black Canary appeared in Baltimore and took after local criminals with a vengeance.

About 50 yards behind them, Laurel is pursuing them at a full sprint. She's not really close enough for her cry to be accurate enough, but she is slowly gaining on the men.

Suddenly, there's a flash of reddish-orange lightning, and several of them go flying. Then, Jenna leaps out of an alley, holding her purple energy sword, and takes out the last two.

Laurel stops short for a moment, then slowly starts walking towards the woman. As she does, Stephen speeds up beside Jenna, smirking.

"I had that," Laurel snaps as she walks up close to them.

"Sure you did. But who ever said no to help?" Stephen says with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Laurel demands.

"Well, I'm Stephen Allen. And this is Jenna West. We've come here because we need your help, Laurel Lance," Stephen says.

Laurel glares at them. "How do you know my name?" she asks.

"Because, my dad is Barry Allen. Also, I'm from the future, and in that future, I know you," Stephen says, shocking Laurel.

"Seriously?" she asks.

"Yes. And we're here because we need your help. We're working with a team to reverse the Decimation and bring everybody back, and we finally have a way to do that. But, we need as many people to help as we can get. So, we thought to reach out to you," Stephen says.

"So what do you say? Will you help us, and try and get your boyfriend back?" Jenna adds.

Laurel looks at the two of them for several moments. Finally, she nods, "Alright. I'm in."

* * *

(Kent Farm, Smallville, Earth-38)

Kara smiles a bit as she hauls a bale of hay over to two of the horses. Despite all the chaos in her life since the Decimation, she's been able to enjoy life as the new owner of the Kent Farm.

As she pets the neck of one of the two horses that are now eating, a breach suddenly opens behind her. Kara turns around, wondering who could be coming through. However, she feels a little confused when she doesn't recognize the young woman who comes through the breach.

Nora stops as she sees Kara. For a moment, the two look at each other before Kara asks, "Who are you?"

Nora smiles. "It's Nora. Nora Allen. Then again, at this point, you'd only know me as a baby," she says.

Kara looks at her in surprise. "Nora? Baby Nora?" she asks.

Nora smiles a bit. "Well, I'm not a baby, but yes," she says.

Kara stares at her for a moment before hurrying forward to hug her. "Wow. It's so nice to meet you. You've grown!" she says happily, drawing a laugh and some tears from Nora.

When Kara pulls back, she looks at Nora and asks, "What are you doing here?"

Nora looks at her foster mom seriously. "I'm here because I need your help, Auntie Kara. My and my team from the future are working with my dad and the remaining Avengers have finally found a way to reverse the Decimation and bring everybody back. But we need all hands on deck to do it. We need your help, Auntie Kara."

A look of determination comes over Kara's face, and she smiles confidently. "Count me in," she says.

* * *

(Earth-1, Tokyo)

In the city of Tokyo, night has fallen. The city is much calmer these days. Except for tonight.

In a relatively run down section of Tokyo, members of the criminal organization known as the Yakuza are in a frenzy. One of their men is scanning the area, gun at the ready before the hooded, masked, murderous vigilante that has recently been known as Ronin drops down into view. He grabs a shuriken and throws it, killing the man.

"It's him! He's after Akihiko!" another man yells in Japanese as he and a third man open fire on Ronin, but are quickly killed by shurikens. Yet another man hurries after Ronin, but he is also killed by a shuriken. Ronin, throws another man through a window, then hurries up into the building.

From outside the building, one can hear gunfire and screams from inside. After several tense moments, Akihiko, the local leader of the Yakuza, leaps out a window. Ronin leaps out shortly after. Akihiko soon lands in the street, and Ronin lands a few yards away a second later.

Akihiko turns to face Ronin. "Why are you doing this?" he demands in Japanese. He draws a katana he's holding as he says, "We never did anything to you."

"You survived. Half the planet didn't," Ronin responds in fluent Japanese as he draws his sword. He then adds, "They got Thanos. You got me."

Akihiko lunges at Ronin, and the two exchange several blows with their swords before separating. Ronin declares, "You're done hurting people."

"We hurt people?" Akihiko asks incredulously, gesturing to the carnage around him. He scoffs, then shouts, "You're crazy!" as he moves to attack Ronin again.

The two exchange several more blows before Ronin forces Akihiko's sword down and brings his own up to Akihiko's neck. A moment later, Akihiko smacks Ronin's blade down and strikes back. Ronin, however, gets in a cut on Akihiko's stomach as he dashes past him.

Akihiko slowly turns back to face Ronin. He utters a war cry and he lunges to attack again, but Ronin easily disarms him and cuts him across the throat. Akihiko slowly falls to his knees, clutching his throat as he cries, "Wait! Help me! I'll give you anything! What do you want?"

Now in English, Ronin responds, "What I want…you can't give me." He then raises his sword before stabbing it down, instantly killing Akihiko. A moment later, he pulls his sword out of Akihiko's body, then wipes the blade against his armguard to wipe the blood off.

Suddenly, there's a whoosh and a flash of lightning behind him. Ronin pauses for a moment before pulling back his hood and removing his mask. Not facing the new arrival, he says, "You shouldn't be here."

Behind him, Barry and Natasha both stare at him. After a moment, Natasha responds, "Neither should you."

He pauses for another moment, then turns around, revealing the face of Clint Barton. But not quite the Clint Barton they remember. A Clint Barton with an expression of loss in his eyes, and a hardened look they haven't seen on Clint's face. He looks at them for a moment, then looks down at the ground as he says, "I've got a job to do."

"Is that what you're calling this, Clint? You know that killing all these people won't bring your family back," Barry says.

Clint just stands there, glaring at the ground. Then, Natasha steps forward and says, "We found something. A chance maybe."

Clint looks up at her and Barry, despair in his eyes. "Don't," he says in a broken voice.

"Don't what?" Barry asks.

Clint shakes his head a bit before saying, "Don't give me hope."

Natasha looks at him sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you sooner," she replies, reaching to take Clint's hand in a comforting gesture.

"Come on, Clint. Not all of your family is gone. Your grandson and granddaughter have missed you," Barry says.

Clint looks at Barry. Barry just looks back at him. "Where's the Clint I know? The one who's always ready for a fight? The one who would do anything for his family? Come on. Let's both get our wives back," he says.

Clint just looks at him before nodding once.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter. I know it may have been a bit fast paced at times, but I wanted to get through everybody who's coming to Earth-99. That is, except Diana and Bruce Wayne. Next chapter will be dedicated to the team finding Diana and Bruce and recruiting them.**

**After next chapter, we'll have two more chapters (one featuring the planning for the mission, and the next including Cap's speech, setting off on the mission, and maybe Oliver and Natasha sharing their first kiss). And then, Chapter 18 will begin the series of chapters showing the battles for the Stones. I hope you're excited. And if you haven't left a vote for guards, make sure to do so.**

**Well, that's it for now. Leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	15. Chapter 15- Batman And Wonder Woman

**Alright, everybody. Let's get going.**

**So, as the chapter title suggests, this chapter will be the search for and recruitment of Batman and Wonder Woman. I decided to go ahead and give them their own chapter.**

**Let's get to it.**

* * *

Chapter 15- Batman and Wonder Woman

"So, we've got almost everybody. We just have two more to find," Barry says as he, Nora, Stephen, Pietro, Natasha, and Oliver convene a brief meeting. The team they've gathered has assembled at STAR Labs, waiting to head to Earth-99. Clint has just thrown himself into spending time with little Nora and Stephen, trying to distract himself from his continuing grief, and make up for all the time he missed with them over the last year.

"Yeah. Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince," Stephen says.

"Still can't believe Batman's real," Oliver mutters, drawing smiles from the others.

"So, do we know where to find them?" Barry asks.

"Well, by now, Diana has returned to Themyscira. Thanks to future Bruce Wayne, we know exactly where the island is," Nora responds.

"What about Wayne?" Natasha asks.

"That's gonna be a little tougher. Bruce's memory wasn't entirely what it used to be, and he couldn't recall exactly where he was around this time in history. But, he remembers that around this time, he spent some time in Eastern Europe and Russia," Stephen responds.

"I already tasked Cisco with trying to locate Bruce in facial recognition," Nora says.

Barry nods. "Alright. So, while we wait to find Bruce, we should go find Diana," he says.

"I think it should just be me and Natasha to go to Themyscira. Diana's people, the Amazons, can be mistrusting of men in general, and especially of men coming to the island. They're much more accepting of women," Nora explains.

Barry is quiet for a moment before nodding. "Alright. You and Natasha go. Take Jenna with you, just in case. Be careful, in these Amazons aren't that friendly in general," he says.

Nora nods. She then looks at Natasha, and says, "You ready?" Natasha nods, and then Nora whisks her away in a flash of lightning.

* * *

(Aegean Sea, the next day)

Nora races across the surface of the Aegean Sea, her arms around Natasha and Jenna. After a flight to Athens earlier that day, and studying the map of where Themyscira was located, Nora had taken off with her two companions.

Finally, up ahead, she spots a stretch of sky that has a different quality about it. Somehow, it just looks different. And from what Jenna said about her visit to Themyscira in the future, that is the spot she's aiming for.

Nora alters course slightly and races towards that stretch of sky. As she moves forward, the distortion seems to get closer. Then, she reaches it, and suddenly there's a feeling like she just passed through something, and up ahead, an island comes into view.

Nora speeds up onto the beach and finally comes to a stop. She sets down Natasha and Jenna. Natasha takes just a moment to regain her bearings, while Jenna doubles over a bit, trying to keep from throwing up.

"It'll pass after a moment," Nora says. Jenna nods as she keeps trying to avoid throwing up. After a few seconds, she straightens back up.

"Alright. I'm good. Now, let's go find the palace. The queen should be able to tell us where Diana is," Jenna says.

Suddenly, Nora hears something faint. Spinning her head around, she is able to barely see what looks like a series of small darts heading towards them. She speeds around them, grabbing all the darts out of the air.

Natasha and Jenna look at her in confusion. Nora raises her hand, and the darts tumble out of her hand.

"We've got company," Nora says. She then looks around at the surrounding cliffs. "We've come in peace! We seek an audience with the queen!" she shouts loudly.

For a few moments, there is quiet. Then, from crags in the cliff and from behind boulders on the beach emerge women dressed in Ancient Greek style armor, and armed in the same fashion.

"Who are you?" one of them demands.

"We are friends. Heroes from the outside world. We seek an audience with the queen," Nora repeats.

The Amazons surround them, and the one who spoke walks up right in front of them. She looks them over before saying, "Very well. Come with us."

Nora nods respectfully, and the Amazons lead them up a pass through the cliffs and off of the beach. Once they reach the top of the cliffs, they lead them through trees and across a small plain. After about an hour, they reach the palace.

As they enter the palace, the trio sees many more Amazons, watching them closely. After just a minute, they enter the throne room, where the queen is sitting on her throne.

"Who are you?" the queen demands as they approach her.

Jenna speaks up. "We come from the land of America. We have come here because we are looking for someone. Someone we know to be connected to you and your people," she says.

"Who is this person you seek?" the queen demands.

"Diana. Diana Prince," Jenna replies.

There is murmuring among the gathered Amazons. The queen narrows her eyes, and she demands, "How do you know my daughter?"

Jenna looks a little surprised at this, but responds, "I knew her when she travelled the world. We fought side by side."

"Really? I do not remember you." The voice draws their attention. The trio looks off to the right as Diana, wearing her armor that Nora and Jenna recognize, melts out of the ranks of the other Amazons.

Jenna looks at her for a moment, then says, "Yes. I know. But I know you. Because I come from the future."

There is murmuring among the Amazons, and Diana crosses her arms. "Really?" she asks.

"Yes. As am I. I am a speedster. The daughter of the Flash. I have the power to travel back in time. Almost 30 years from now, we met you, and you fought alongside us," Nora explains.

Diana looks skeptical, then pulls out what looks like a lasso and throws it, looping it around Jenna. Natasha draws her pistols, but hesitates when all the Amazons draw their weapons.

Diana looks at Jenna firmly as she says, "The Lasso of Hestia will compel you to tell the truth. Now, tell me? How do you know me?"

Jenna looks at her calmly and responds, "We come from the future. In the future, Bruce Wayne sent us to find you, so that you could help us save our home. You joined us, and helped us save our home."

Diana stares at her for a moment, then walks forward and removes the lasso from around Jenna. "If you could say the same thing when wrapped in the Lasso of Hestia, then it must be true, even if it sounds unbelievable," Diana says.

The queen speaks up again. "Why have you come here?" she asks.

Natasha, who has put away her pistols, speaks up and says, "Because. The team we work with has found a way to bring back everybody that disintegrated randomly last year. However, in order to do so, we need as much help as we can. In the future, Diana told these two to seek her out in this time and enlist her aid."

The queen and other Amazons looks surprised. Diana, however, is unmoving for several moments. Then, she nods once, and says, "Very well. If it will help bring back everyone who disappeared…I will gladly go with you and help you."

"Diana," the queen starts to say, almost in protest.

Diana turns to the queen. "No, mother. I must go. I thought, when everyone disappeared, it was time for me to come home. But I cannot ignore this. If this will help bring everyone back, I must do it," she says.

The queen is quiet for a moment. Then, she finally nods. "Very well," she says.

Diana nods to her mother, then turns to the trio. "I will be glad to fight alongside you," she says.

The three all grin. "Good to have you on the team, Diana," Natasha says.

* * *

(Two days later, St. Petersburg)

Oliver and Barry make their way through the streets of St. Petersburg. After a few days of searching, they found some traffic cam footage, and in it, a man who looked enough like Bruce Wayne to warrant a visit to Russia.

"Where did they say the place was?" Oliver asks.

"I think it was right around this corner up ahead here," Barry responds. He then looks at Oliver and asks, "How do you know Bruce Wayne, anyway?"

"I met him before the island thanks to my father. We saw each other a few times before the island, but I haven't seen him since I got back," Oliver responds. Barry just nods in response.

Together, the two round the next corner, and end up on a street with just a few run down houses.

"Which one is it?" Oliver asks.

"Second one on the right," Barry says.

Oliver nods, and the two walk up to the house in question. Oliver knocks several times. Finally, after the fourth round of knocking, the door finally opens, and a disheveled looking Bruce Wayne appears.

"Who is it? What do you want?" Bruce demands in Russian.

"Hey, Bruce. It's been a long time," Oliver says in English.

Bruce's eyes widen. "Oliver Queen. What are you doing here?" he asks.

"We're here because we need your help. Batman," Oliver responds.

Bruce's eyes narrow, and he grabs Oliver by his collar. "What did you say?" he growls.

"Easy, Bruce. I did my research on you. And trust me, I'm not here to try and expose you. Because I'm the Green Arrow," Oliver responds.

Bruce keeps holding Oliver's collar for a few seconds, then releases him. "You're the Green Arrow?" he asks.

"Yeah. And this is Barry Allen. You may know him as the Flash," Oliver says, gesturing to Barry.

Bruce looks between the two of them, then demands, "How did you find me?"

"Well, my children, who are speedsters, travelled back in time from the future, where they knew you. Future you told them you were in this area of the world around this time, so we started looking for you on facial recognition," Barry answers.

Bruce is quiet for a moment before saying, "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Not in the slightest, Bruce. And we're here because we need your help," Oliver says.

"What help?" Bruce asks.

"We and the team we're working with have found a way to reverse the Decimation and bring everybody back. But we need as many people as possible to help us, or it won't work," Oliver says. He looks at Bruce intently as he says, "The world needs the Batman."

Bruce looks at him for a moment before saying, "You've got the wrong guy, Queen."

"I don't think so, Bruce. The Bruce I knew from before the island wasn't one to just give up. And I know that Bruce is still in there. I may not have believed Batman existed for the longest time, but now that I know he does, I know he's the right man for the job. So, are you gonna let yourself be known as the man who sat on his a** when the world needed him, or are you gonna let yourself be known as the man who helped save the world?" Oliver demands harshly.

Bruce stands there for a moment, glaring at Oliver. After a few moments, though, he groans a bit. He looks down at the ground for a moment, then back up and says, "Alright, Queen. I'll join you guys. But once we bring everybody back, that's it."

Oliver nods. "Fair enough, Bruce," he says, extending his hand. Bruce looks at it for a moment before taking it.

* * *

**Alright, there we go. I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I hope you're excited to see Diana again, and to really see Bruce in action.**

**Next chapter will show the return to Earth-99, and the team discussing the plan. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	16. Chapter 16- Mission Planning

**Hey, guys. Back with another chapter. This should be a good one. So let's get to it. Also, I realized after posting last chapter that I didn't show Thor and Bruce getting recruited. So, I'm just gonna kinda skip over showing it, and just mentioning it here in the start of the chapter. Also, in this, Thor has not yet become a full blown alcoholic. He's started, but hasn't reached anywhere near what we saw in Endgame. Also, Roy hasn't had a proper reunion with Oliver yet, they've obviously reunited, but their proper discussion will take place next chapter, before the strike teams leave.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the victims of 9/11. It's been 18 years since that day, but I pray nobody will ever forget that day. **

**Arrowverse Fan 217:** No, I have no plan for a story centered on the Olympians.

**willdawg992003: **We'll find out, though I think from _Avengers of the Future_, you can already kinda tell. Batwoman won't be showing up until the Elseworlds story. And yes, I will be doing a story covering Elseworlds.

**mmat:** If you don't remember, the Decimation trapped the Legends in the timestream. THey won't be showing up until the final battle.

**Ultimatrix Bearer: **This Diana is about as powerful as the one in the DCEU. Not quite as powerful as Superman and Supergirl, but still very strong. And yes, Alfred got dusted, though I'm not sure how much he'll show up in the MACU in the future.

**Guest: **Either Diana or Bruce will make an appearance in the first story involving Taskmaster.

* * *

Chapter 16- Mission Planning

At the New Avengers Facility, the team has assembled. Tony had gone and brought in Banner, who had been living in DC the last few months, while Nebula and Rocket had gone to Norway, and convinced Thor to come with them. Now, they're waiting for the team from Earth-1 to arrive.

"How much longer?" Tony asks.

"Cisco's transmission said they'd be back soon," Steve responds.

A moment later, a huge breach opens. Then, Barry, Oliver, Nora, Stephen, Pietro, Natasha, and Jenna all step through the breach. A moment later, Cisco and Caitlin come through, followed by Clint, Slade, Roy, Laurel, Bruce, Diana, and Kara. Last of all come Harry and Dr. McGee, a last minute addition to the team.

"Welcome back, guys. And to the new arrivals, welcome to Earth-99," Steve says.

After a moment, everyone notices something. They look back and forth between Logan and Slade, and after a moment, Tony says, "Umm, am I going crazy, or am I seeing double here?"

"It's called a doppelganger, Tony. I'm sure you've heard of the term," Barry says a little sarcastically.

Everyone looks between Logan and Slade, who are just staring at each other, intrigued. Finally, Steve says, "Alright. We can have times for reunions later."

* * *

"Alright. Everybody knows the situation. I think it's finally time we figure out how this is going to work out," Steve says.

Before him and Oliver, who has unofficially become the second team leader, the entire team that has been gathered is watching him.

"Most people who have spent time in this universe have had an encounter with at least one of the Infinity Stones," Steve begins.

"But, this is not gonna be as much about taking the Stones, but rather about getting to their hiding places and fighting the guards that Thanos has placed over them," Oliver explains.

"Thanks to Tony and Thane, we have managed to track down the location of the six Stones. They've been scattered to planets all across the universe, several of which seem to have a connection to the Stones," Steve says.

From his position at a computer, Tony pulls up a slide, showing the Tesseract, and a harsh looking blue planet. Thor's eyes narrow, and he mutters, "Jotunheim."

Everyone looks at Thor. "What do you know about this place, Thor?" Oliver asks.

"Jotunheim is one of the Nine Realms. It is a frozen realm, and home of the Frost Giants. My brother, Loki, was originally from this realm. I have only been to Jotunheim twice, one of those times inadvertently, and neither were very pleasant experiences. The Frost Giants are not a friendly race. If Thanos banished the Space Stone there, it is likely that the Frost Giants will oppose us in addition to the guards my father has set," Thor explains.

"Do the Frost Giants possess any particular powers?" Oliver asks.

"No. Save their size and physical strength, few Frost Giants have displayed supernatural powers. Some have displayed ice powers, but only a few," Thor responds.

"Thor, do you think you could transport us to Jotunheim using Stormbreaker?" Steve asks.

"I could, but I would likely have to go with you, and we are not yet decided on teams," Thor points out.

"Fair point," Steve responds.

"Well, you've got me, and we still have extrapolators," Cisco says.

"You're right. I forgot about that," Steve adds.

"Alright. So, Jotunheim has been identified as the location of the Space Stone. Let's move onto the next one," Oliver says. He nods to Tony, who moves to the next slide, which shows the Reality Stone, in its fluid form, and beside it, a picture of a dark, barren world.

Seeing the expression on Thor's face, Steve asks, "I'm guessing you know this place, too, Thor?"

"Indeed. Svartalfheim. Home of the Dark Elves. They once wielded the Aether in an attempt to return the universe back to one of darkness. When I think of it, I can't imagine a more appropriate hiding place," he says.

"Will we have to face Dark Elves like we will on Jotunheim?" Oliver asks.

"No. The Dark Elves are all dead. Most were killed thousands of years ago by Asgard's armies, and the rest were killed 6 years ago. Unless Thanos resurrected them to serve as guards, we will not encounter any Dark Elves," Thor explains.

"Are there any hazards there we need to know?" Steve asks.

"Not in particular. It can be a harsh world, but nothing too dangerous now that it is deserted," Thor responds.

Oliver nods, then says, "Alright. Let's move on." Tony clicks to the next slide, showing Loki's scepter. Beside it appears a picture of a ruined world, with ruins of cities in the distance.

"What is that place?" Barry asks.

"Skrullos," Carol responds. Everyone looks at her. She looks back at them and says, "Skrullos was the homeworld of the Skrulls, a shapeshifting alien race. When the Skrulls went to war with the Kree, the alien race I once served, the Kree destroyed Skrullos. Though uninhabitable, the planet remains intact. I suppose it would make sense for Thanos to place one of the Stones there."

"Are you sure Skrullos is uninhabited?" Steve asks.

"Positive. And even if it was, the Skrulls are not a particularly bad people. They all know who I am, as I've helped them find a new homeworld over the last few decades. I doubt they would be a problem even if they were there. Trust me, there's no dangers on what's left of Skrullos except for whatever guards Thanos has set," Carol responds.

"Alright. That's three of the Stones. Let's go over the next one," Steve says. Tony switches slides, and up comes a photo of the Orb, along with a picture showing the shattered remains of another planet.

"Another ruined planet. Thanos sure likes his ruined planets," Scott quips.

"I know that place," Kara says. Everyone looks at her as she thinks hard. Then, a lightbulb goes off, and she says, "That's Daxam, Krypton's sister planet. In my universe, Krypton and Daxam were enemies before they were both destroyed. I recognize the ruins and the moon."

"So, this planet is also uninhabitable?" Oliver asks.

"Looks like it. But, if this place is anything like the Daxam I know, if we were to run into any Daxamites, they may not be the most friendly. Although, this Daxam doesn't look like it was destroyed the same way as the one I know," Kara says.

"I doubt it was. A powerful cosmic force destroyed Daxam and its people a long time ago. Few Daxamites escaped," Carol reveals.

"What destroyed Daxam?" Tony asks.

"You don't want to know," Carol responds. Everyone senses there's more to this story, but leaves it be.

"Alright. Onto the next Stone," Steve says. Tony switches slides, with the new one showing the Eye of Agamotto, and a picture of a dark, mountainous world.

"What's that place?" Rhodey asks.

"I've heard of it before. It's a planet called Maveth. It was once home to an advanced civilization, but after a mysterious visitor arrived, they destroyed themselves. Since then, it's become a wasteland," Carol explains.

"What about this visitor?" Oliver asks.

"I don't know who he is, except that he was very powerful. I took a trip to the planet a little while ago, but he was gone," Carol explains. Everyone wants to ask more questions, but it's clear that Carol doesn't know anything more about this visitor.

"Alright. We have just one more Stone to go," Oliver says, gesturing to Tony. Tony switches slides again, brining up an image of the Soul Stone, with a picture of a planet that seems to be half surrounded by vast clouds of dust and space debris.

"Vormir," Nebula says in a low voice. Everyone turns to look at her.

"What is Vormir?" Natasha asks.

"It is a dominion of death. Located at the very center of celestial existence. It's where…Thanos murdered my sister," Nebula says.

Everyone is quiet for a moment. Then, Scott mutters, "Not it."

Oliver gives Scott a look, then looks back out at the team. "Alright. We've confirmed the identity of the hiding spots of the six Stones. As for the Speed Stone, it will remain here at the Facility," he says.

Steve then pipes up. "So. Now that we have the location of the Stones, we need to discuss something else. Obviously, we won't know the identities of the enemies we may face. But we need to discuss the enemies we'll be likely to face. We need to all have some idea of who we could be facing. Obviously, we won't have time to discuss every single enemy we've ever faced. But I think we should talk about some of the stronger ones we've faced," Steve says.

"I agree. So, who should we start with? Earth-1, Earth-38, or Earth-99?" Oliver asks.

"Well, most of the major enemies I've faced that we're likely to face are Kryptonians, or have similar powers," Kara says.

"Well, that makes it easier," Rhodey quips.

"Well, I think we should start with Earth-1," Steve says.

Everyone looks to Oliver first. Oliver nods once and says, "Well, for me, it's rather simple. Most of the major enemies I've faced haven't possessed any powers. They've just been very skilled at hand to hand combat. The ones that are dead that really come to mind were Ra' al Ghul, who was the leader of the League of Assassins, and a man named Adrian Chase, who called himself Prometheus. Now, the one enemy that comes to mind is Damien Darhk. He was a former assassin, who later acquired very powerful magic," Oliver says.

"So, for the most part, among your past enemies, no powers except for Damien Darhk? Just all really good fighters?" Tony asks. Oliver nods to confirm this.

"Alright. Barry, what about you?" Steve asks.

"Well, in Central City, we fight a new metahuman just about every week, and there are quite a few that are dead for one reason or another. One of the big ones that comes to mind is Savitar. For those of you who don't know, he's a speedster who called himself the God of Speed. Eventually, I beat him with the help of the Avengers, and a creature called the Black Flash killed him. I've also fought two toher speedsters that are dead now. They called themselves the Rival and Trajectory. Then, next that I would think would be Clifford Devoe, aka the Thinker. He was a metahuman with a brain far beyond anything else, but he eventually acquired the powers of a dozen more metahumans that made him ridiculously powerful," Barry says.

"Anyone else?" Steve asks.

"Well, according to reports I heard, one of my old enemies named Grodd was killed in the Decimation. He's a huge, super-intelligent gorilla with psychic powers. We've fought him multiple times, but it took another gorilla like him to actually beat him," Barry says.

Everyone's quiet for a moment before Steve says, "Okay. Why don't we get to Earth-99? How about we start with Tony?"

Tony leans back in his chair. "Well, for me personally, I've faced three major enemies. The first was my dad's old friend, Obadiah Stane. He created a suit that was basically a giant version of Rhodey's armor. Then, there was Anton Vanko. He used arc reactor technology to create these powerful energy whips. And then there was Aldrich Killian. He created this technology called EXTREMIS, which powered up someone with incredible strength, super healing, heating up their bodies, and even breathing flames."

Everyone nods a bit at this. Then, Thor pipes up. "I have faced multiple powerful enemies. However, there are three I consider most likely. The first is my brother, Loki. He is able to use magic, and is very skilled at fighting. The second is Malekith, the former leader of the Dark Elves. He is a very skilled fighter, and was able to use the Aether as a powerful weapon contained within his own body. I would be willing to bet a great deal that Thanos would have made him a guardian of the Aether," he says. He pauses for a moment, then says, "The third I would think is likely is my sister, Hela. She is the goddess of death, and is so powerful it took all of my father's power to imprison her millenia ago, and only the fire demon Surtur was able to kill her. However, with Asgard gone, I think it likely her power will be diminished."

"Great. Well, let's hope not, or who knows how we're gonna kill her?" Rhodey mutters.

Everyone is quiet for a moment, then Cap speaks up. "I think we've gone over many of the enemies we're likely to face. Except one. I think there's a fair chance that Ultron may be guarding one of the Stones. If he is, then we could be in trouble," he says. He gets several nods from this.

"Ultimately, we have no idea exactly who is guarding the Stones. We have to be prepared for anything. He could even have raised up guards we may never be expecting. Nothing is off the table. And we have to be ready," Oliver says.

There is quiet for a few moments before Steve says, "Alright. We need to develop the strike teams."

There's a number of nods from around the room, and the team begins discussing their plan, as well as who should go where.

Finally, after almost an hour, the discussion is coming to an end. Steve looks around. "Alright. We've got our plan. Let's just review it. The Space Stone team leader?"

Barry nods. "Me, with Tony, Cisco, Clint, and Laurel. We'll be going to Jotunheim, and Cisco will breach us there," he says.

Steve nods, then says, "Alright. Reality Stone team leader?"

Stephen nods. "Yup. I've got Cassie, Logan, Roy, Rocket, and Danai. We'll be going to Svartalfheim with an extrapolator," Stephen says.

Steve nods, then asks, "Alright. Power Stone team leader?"

Oliver nods. "Yeah. I've got Nora, Natasha, Slade, and Nebula. We'll be going to Daxam via extrapolator," Oliver says.

"Like old times, kid," Slade says, drawing a smile from Oliver.

"Alright. Mind Stone team leader?" Steve asks.

Banner nods. "Yeah. I've got Azari, Morgan, Pietro, and Rhodey. We'll be going to Skrullos via extrapolator," he says.

"Good. Time Stone team leader?" Steve asks.

Thor nods. "Yes. I have Bobby, Mr. Wayne, Zoe, Diana, and Kara. We will be going to Maveth via the Bifrost," he says, hefting Stormbreaker.

"Alright. And I'll be leading the Soul Stone team, and I'll be going to Vormir with John, Jenna, Scott, Caitlin, and Thane. We'll be taking the Bennatar there," Steve adds.

His team nods. He then looks at Harry and Dr. McGee. "Harry, Dr. McGee, you two will get started on that gauntlet. Tony's already got most of the plans finished, so hopefully it should be easy," he says.

"You can count on us, Captain," Dr. McGee responds, and Harry nods.

Steve then turns to Carol. "And Carol, you've got your mission?"

"Yup. Hunt down Thanos, and stop him from interfering," Carol says.

Steve nods. "Alright. This is it. Six Stones. Six teams. One shot. We can do this," he says. Everyone nods.

"Alright. Everybody go suit up," Steve says.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you guys don't mind how the beginning seemed a bit rushed. I promise, we'll get to some of the interactions you've been hoping for next chapter, including a real meeting between Slade and Logan, Roy and Oliver's official reunion, and maybe Oliver and Natasha's first kiss. I also hope you liked my choice for hiding spots.**

**For those who don't know, Maveth is from Agents of SHIELD, and was the world that the evil Inhuman Hive was banished to. And yes, Hive is the visitor Carol mentioned. He won't be showing up though.**

**Also, just so you know, the poll for guards is still open. But, once I post the next chapter, which is the last one before the battles for the Stones, the poll will close. So, if you have any last minute suggestions, make sure to leave a review and include them.**

**I will, however, confirm one guard. Loki is going to be a guard. I say this now because I would like to ask if you guys want me to have him die, or have the strike team that faces him spare his life, and then have Loki fight alongside them in the final battle.**

**Alright. This it for now. Leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	17. Chapter 17- Whatever it Takes

**Alright. Here we go. The last chapter before we start the battles for the Stones.**

**Also. I am just going to confirm this. The force that destroyed Daxam is Galactus. I have plans to include him in the future, but I'm unsure at what point.**

**Let's get to it. **

**warlocktongue:** Thanks for reminding me about Cassie and Scott. I almost forgot. That will be in this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17- Whatever It Takes

In one of the Facility's armories, Slade is preparing for battle. He's donned his Deathstroke suit, and is now strapping on his various weapons.

"Well, doppelganger of mine."

Slade stops, then turns around to face Logan, who is standing in the door.

The two are quiet for a few moments before Logan walks into the room. "So, what's your story? We may share the same face, but I'm a little interested in how we're different," Logan says.

Slade sighs a bit as he leans back against the wall. "I was born in Australia. I joined the ASIS, and that's where I learned to fight. I eventually became one of their elite agents. A number of years ago, me and my partner were sent to an island called Lian Yu. I got trapped on the island, and while I was trapped there, I met Oliver. The kid was a spoiled brat at the time, but I trained him to fight. About a year after we met, I got wounded, and the kid injected me with a serum called Mirakuru to save me. It increased my strength, but also warped my mind. Almost immediately after, the woman I loved died. I blamed Oliver and tried to kill him. Oliver tried to kill me, but failed. I spent the next five years planning my revenge. After those 5 years, I found him and tried to destroy him in every way. I killed his mother, and almost destroyed his city, but he managed to cure me of the serum, and imprisoned me. After a few years, the lingering effects of the Mirakuru wore off, and I was released by Bucky Barnes to help him stop a man named Adrian Chase. Since then, I've been trying to atone for my sins. After the Decimation, I became a vigilante in Oliver's home city until Oliver found me and brought me here to help," Slade explains.

Logan stands there for a moment, then slowly nods. "Well. That's quite a story, Wilson," he says.

Slade nods a bit. "Yeah," he mutters. He then looks at Logan. "What about you? Logan, was it?"

Logan nods to confirm this, then says, "I was born back in the 1800s. I'm a mutant. By that, I mean I was born with my powers, not given them. The reason I'm still alive is because one of my powers is advanced healing, which prevents me from aging at the same rate as normal people. I served alongside Captain Rogers in WWII. A few decades later, I was working with a government organization called SHIELD when an accident with the Space Stone banished me to a planet called Sakaar, where I was held prisoner for decades until Oliver and Thor led a revolution that let me go free. I've never really had friends, and have mostly just been a loner my whole life."

Slade nods. "Well. It seems like we've both been through hell," he says.

"Yeah. I'd say so," Logan says.

The two stand there for a minute. Then, Logan says, "Well, maybe we can learn from each other. And maybe once this is over, things will turn around for the two of us." Slade just nods in response.

* * *

Banner looks over the information for his team's mission, thinking about the challenges they may face.

"So, you're the one who has the Hulk, right?"

Banner turns around and sees Caitlin standing in the door.

"Yes. Caitlin Snow, right? Barry's friend?" Banner responds.

"Yes," Caitlin responds.

"You ready for this?" Banner asks.

"As much as I can be," Caitlin says. She pauses for a moment, then asks, "Can I ask you something? Do you still fear the Hulk?"

"A little. But, over the last year, I've had some time to think. And recently, I've thought that maybe he's not a plague. But maybe he's the cure," Banner says.

"Maybe. But, it may not even be that. You see, I have another side of myself, too. Her name is Killer Frost. When I first discovered her, I was terrified of her. She was evil and didn't care about anyone else, really. I tried to push her down, keep her locked away. But eventually, I realized that maybe I didn't have to. I eventually learned she'd always been part of me, and I thought that maybe I was meant to have her as a part of me. That we were really just two sides of the same coin."

She's quiet for a moment, then says, "I don't think it was an accident that made you the Hulk. I think in a way, he was always meant to be a part of you. Maybe, if you learn to accept that he's just as much a part of you as this you, and that he can be a friend rather than an enemy, maybe then you and the Hulk will find peace with each other."

Caitlin then turns and walks out of the room, leaving Banner to think over what she said.

* * *

Scott examines his suit. After his time in the quantum realm, he wants to make sure that there's nothing wrong with this suit before he goes anywhere with it.

Suddenly, he feels somebody walk into the room. He turns his head, and sees Cassie walk into the room. He had been stunned when he heard that his daughter from the future had come back in time. However, they hadn't really gotten a chance to talk.

There's quiet for a moment before Scott says, "Cassie...I'm sorry you had to grow up alone."

"It's okay, Dad. It's not your fault," Cassie responds.

Scott takes a few steps towards her, looking her suit over. "How did you get this suit?" he asks.

"After I graduated college, I looked into your past as Ant-Man. In the course of my research, I found one Hank Pym's old sites. When I got there, I found a stash of Pym Particles, and design schematics for the Wasp and Ant-Man suits. I'd studied engineering, so I designed this suit to combine the capabilities of both suits, and was able to produce my own Pym Particles after I reverse engineered some," Cassie explains.

Scott smiles proudly. "You've gotten so big. And you became a superhero. I couldn't be more proud of you," he says.

Cassie begins to get tears in her eyes, and she and her father embrace.

* * *

Elsewhere in the facility, Oliver is getting ready. Using his bow, he's already donned his armor, and is getting all his gear together. Then, behind him, he hears footsteps. He turns around and sees Roy, now wearing his Arsenal suit, staring at him.

"Nice new threads," Roy says.

"Yeah. It feels a little weird, sometimes. But it gets the job done," Oliver responds.

Roy nods, kinda just staring at Oliver's suit. Oliver realizes something is bothering Roy, and asks, "Hey, Roy. What's on your mind? You seem kind of out of it."

Roy keep just staring at nothing in particular for a moment, then looks up at Oliver, tears starting to form in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I did my best, but I couldn't protect Thea. And then…I just let myself fall into drinking. I'm sorry, Oliver. I let you down," he says in a choked up voice.

Oliver stands there for a moment, then steps towards Roy, reaches out, and puts his hands on Roy's shoulders "Hey. You didn't let me down. There was nothing you could've done for Thea from the moment Thanos snapped his fingers. But what you can do right now is square up, wipe those tears away, and help get the Stones back. Do you think you can do that?"

Roy nods, the tears still in his eyes. Oliver then pulls him in for a hug. "You can do this, Roy. We both can. For Thea," he says. Roy just nods as he hugs Oliver back for a few moments before letting go.

"Thanks, Oliver. I'll go check in with Cap. Let him know I'm ready to go," Roy says. Oliver nods, and Roy walks off.

"One of your old partners, I'm guessing." Oliver smiles as he turns to face Natasha.

"Yeah. Roy Harper. Used to be my partner before he had to take the fall for me to avoid me getting throw in prison. He's been on the run ever since. Right before the Decimation, he and my sister Thea, his girlfriend, were chasing down a terrorist organization, but Thea died in the Decimation and Roy didn't handle it well," Oliver explains sadly.

Natasha walks up to him and takes his hand in a comforting gesture. "Don't worry, Oliver. We'll get your sister back. We'll get everybody back," she says.

"I know we will. Doesn't mean I can't be nervous, though," Oliver responds.

"I know. But don't worry about it. We can do it together," she says.

Oliver nods. "I'm glad I've had you this last year, Natasha. I don't know if I could've made it through everything without you," he says.

Natasha smiles. "I'm glad to have had you, too," she says.

Oliver looks at Natasha for a moment, both of them quiet. Then, Oliver says, "Natasha, I need to tell you something."

"What?" she asks.

"I've always thought that ultimately, at the end of the day, I'd be alone. That my connections to other people made me vulnerable. But, with you, I haven't felt that way. I've felt…stronger," Oliver says.

Natasha smiles at him. Oliver is quiet for a moment, then says, "I don't know how this is gonna end. I don't know how many of us are gonna survive this. But what I do know…is that I…"

"Will you just shut up and kiss me already?" Natasha says with a smirk. Oliver is quiet for a moment. Then he smiles and leans down, and the two kiss.

The two stand in their embrace for several passionate moments before they suddenly hear, "Well, this is sweet." The two break apart and turn to see Steve smiling at them.

"Really, Rogers?" Oliver asks sarcastically.

"Hey, I got nothing against this. I'm just surprised it took you two this long," he says.

"Get out of here, Steve. We're busy," Natasha says snarkily. Steve laughs as he walks out, and Oliver and Natasha return to their kiss.

* * *

Barry flexes his fingers. It's been so long since he last donned the suit Shuri gave him right before the Battle of Wakanda.

Barry looks around. Next to him, Stephen and Nora are finishing putting their suits on, while Pietro is wearing a new suit Cisco has made of him. It has the exact same color scheme as the outfit he wore at the Battle of Sokovia, but is physically the same as Barry's first suit. The only difference is that Pietro doesn't have the same cowl, but rather a simple face mask, like Nora.

"This is it guys," he says, drawing their attention to him. He smiles a bit, and says, "We're gonna do this. We're get all those Stones. And we're gonna bring everybody back." He then looks at Nora and Stephen and says, "Including your mother."

The twins smile and hug their father. Then, Pietro walks over and embraces them all.

* * *

(Short time later)

Finally, almost two hours after the end of the meeting, the team begins to re-assemble outside the Facility on the lawn.

Steve looks around at everybody who has gathered. All 33 members of the team. He takes a deep breath and begins to talk.

"One year ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams. You know your missions. This is it. Today, we retake the Stones. None of us know what to expect. So stay safe. Watch each other's backs. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win. Whatever it takes." He pauses for a moment, then says, "Good luck."

"He's pretty good at that," Rocket comments.

"Right?" Scott answers enthusiastically.

"Alright. Let's go," Oliver responds. The teams separate.

"See you all soon," Natasha says cheerfully. A number of other smile back at her.

"Let's roll," Barry says. And with that, Cisco opens a breach, while Oliver, Banner, and Stephen activate their extrapolators, Steve's team boards the Benatar, and Thor raises Stormbreaker. Barry, Oliver, Stephen, and Banner's team step through the breaches, the Bifrost comes down and takes Thor's team, the Benatar soars off into space, and Carol soars off as well to find Thanos.

The mission is underway.

* * *

**And with that, I'll end the chapter.**

**I really hope you liked that one. I hope I did the Logan/Slade, Caitlin/Banner, Cassie/Scott and Oliver/Roy scenes right, and that you liked Oliver and Natasha's kiss.**

**Now, the next six chapters are gonna feature the fights for the Stones, with each chapter dedicated to one of the Stones. Each chapter title will just be the name of the Stone featured. I think you'll like them. I will post the first one this next Monday, and the remaining five over the following five days of the week, one chapter per day.**

**Also, I'm going to remind you all. Loki will be a guard. Would you like me to have him survive and rejoin Thor? Let me know.**

**Well, that's it for now. Until the next chapter, please leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	18. Chapter 18- The Space Stone

**Alright. Here we go. I have nothing more to say, so let's dive right in.**

* * *

Chapter 18- The Space Stone

Barry, Tony, Cisco, Clint, and Laurel emerge through the breach, right into a frozen wasteland. Several of them instantly start shivering.

"Geez. When Thor said this place was cold, he didn't mention it was this cold," Clint mutters.

Barry shivers a bit, then says, "Alright. Tony, where's the Stone? Are you tracking it?"

"Yeah. My systems show it's about three clicks west of us," Tony says.

Suddenly, they hear a growl behind them. The team turns around, and sees about 20 Frost Giants approaching them.

"Well. There's the Frost Giants," Barry says.

"Alright. Let's take care of these guys, then go find that Stone," Tony says. And with that, Tony takes to the air, unleashing a blast from his repulsors that knocks out one of the Frost Giants. Angered, the remaining 19 charge the team.

Barry races forward, punching Frost Giants at high speed or blasting them with his repulsors. Within second, he takes down 4. Clint fires two arrows, striking two Frost Giants in the shoulders, making them collapse in pain. Laurel unleashes her scream at full pitch, catching three Frost Giants and knocking them over, where the Frost Giants lie clutching their ears in agony. Four more Frost Giants rush at Cisco, but he opens two breaches and they run right into them, emerging on the opposite side of the planet. Tony flies around, knocking out four more Frost Giants with repulsor blasts. Finally, Barry throws lightning at the last few Giants, knocking them unconscious.

The team takes a few moments to catch their breath. "Well, that was pretty easy," Tony says.

"This was. The fight against the guards aren't gonna be so easy," Barry responds.

"Let's go," Clint says.

Slowly, the team sets off towards the west. The journey across the icy landscape is slow and dangerous, but the team slowly makes their way towards the location.

Finally, after almost an hour, Barry asks, "How much further, Tony?"

"We should be within a few hundred yards of it," he says.

Suddenly, there's a whoosh, and suddenly there's a streak of white lightning racing around them.

"Oh, no," Barry says.

"What 'Oh, no'?" Laurel asks.

A moment later, the lightning stops, revealing Savitar, armor and all, standing in front of them.

"Savitar," Barry mutters.

"Well, Barry. I thought I would be stuck here alone for eternity. But, glad to see you decided to pay me a visit," Savitar says in his monstrous voice.

"You can't be alone. Who else is here?" Cisco demands.

Savitar laughs. Then, the ice beside him shatters, and a massive metal suit, looking somewhat like an oversized War Machine armor, bursts through the ice. The suit stands up, and then its mask opens up, revealing an older, bearded man.

"Well, well, Tony. Looks like you've really made progress with your suit design," Obadiah Stane says.

"Obadiah. I should've known Thanos would've brought you back," Tony says.

Then, from behind a boulder, Loki comes out, wearing his horned helmet, and wielding two daggers.

"Loki," Barry mutters.

"Barry Allen. Savitar has told us much about you. I'm sorry to do this, but I must," Loki says, and almost does sound regretful.

"Well. Five against three. Shouldn't be too much of a problem," Clint says confidently.

Suddenly, a breach opens, and through it steps a very familiar man. He removes his goggles and says, "Good to see you again, Vibe."

"Umm, am I seeing double now? Or is this another doppelganger?" Tony asks.

"The latter. It's my Earth-2 doppelganger," Cisco says as he stares back at Reverb.

"I've been hoping for this, Vibe. The chance to finally get revenge for what you and your friends did to me," Reverb says.

Things are quiet before Barry says, "Are you guys ready?"

"Never been more," Clint says firmly.

"Good," Barry says. And with that, he rushes at Savitar.

Savitar speeds off, and Barry speeds after him. Meanwhile, Obadiah's suit closes back up, and he and Tony both take to the sky. Clint and Laurel rush at Loki, who rushes to meet them. Meanwhile, Cisco and Reverb fire vibe blasts at each other, trying to overwhelm each other with pure power.

Barry races to catch up with Savitar. Savitar leads him through several boulders, managing to briefly lose Barry before racing at him from the side and pinning him against a boulder by the throat.

"You won't beat me this time, Barry. You don't have the Avengers and Black Flash to help you," Savitar mocks Barry.

Barry smirks. "But I have something I didn't have before, Savitar," he says.

"And what's that?" Savitar asks.

"More to fight for," Barry responds. He then raises his hands and fires his repulsors point blank into Savitar's face. Although it doesn't penetrate his armor, it forces Savitar to release Barry. Barry pulls back, then fires his cold blasters that Tony first installed in the Mk III, encasing Savitar's head in ice.

Barry smirks. "Oh yeah. And I got more tech than last time," he says.

Savitar smashes the ice with his fist, then roars angrily at Barry. He extends one of his wrist spears and stabs at Barry, but Barry summons one of his vibranium blades and deflects it. He smirks as says, "You're not the only one with wrist blades, now, Savitar."

Savitar roars angrily. Barry smirks and throws a punch. Savitar dodges and speeds away again. Barry races after him, determined to beat Savitar this time.

Meanwhile, back with the rest of the group, Tony is flying at high speed around Obadiah. Like before, the Iron Monger suit is not very quick, and with the advancements Tony has made, his suit is now much faster. Obadiah fires his Gatling guns attached to his wrists relentlessly, but Tony easily dodges the rounds, firing his repulsors, but hardly damaging Obadiah's suit.

"You may have upgraded your suit, Tony. But without an arc reactor overload, you'll never beat me," Obadiah says confidently.

"Don't be so confident, Stane," Tony says as he unleashes a barrage of missiles at Obadiah, knocking him back a bit.

About twenty yards away, Clint and Laurel are exchanging blows with Loki. Although his reflexes and strength are superior to them, with the two combined, Loki finds himself unable to keep up at the same speed, and keeps getting pushed back.

"Come on, Loki. Where's your fight? You can fight better than this," Clint taunts.

Loki growls and slashes at Clint again, but Clint deflects it. Then, Laurel manages to land a punch to the side of his head, forcing Loki back a few steps back.

At the same time, Cisco is still fighting with Reverb. Cisco opens a breach and leaps through it. Emerging behind Reverb, he fires a vibe blast that knocks Reverb tumbling. However Reverb spins around onto his knees and fires vibe blasts at Cisco, forcing Cisco to dodge aside.

"You've gotten much better, Vibe. But still not good enough," Reverb taunts. Cisco glares at him and fires another vibe blats, which is met with another from Reverb.

Right then, Clint manages to get in a blow on Loki. Before Loki can respond, Laurel unleashes her scream, knocking Loki back and making him clutch at his ears.

Clint walks up to Loki, drawing an arrow from his quiver. "I want so badly to kill you, Loki. After everything you did to me. But, I'm not a cold blooded murderer, and I know Thor would want me to give you a chance. So, I'll settle for this," he says, nocking the tranquilizer arrow to his bow and firing it into Loki's leg. Loki cries out in pain before the powerful tranquilizer sends him into unconsciousness.

Clint and Laurel look at each other for a moment before Clint says, "I got Cisco. You help Tony." Laurel nods, and they turn to face their new opponents.

Clint fires an arrow at Reverb, catching him in the shoulder. Reverb cries in pain and turns to face Clint, glaring behind his goggles. He fires a vibe blast, which Clint dodges. A second later, Cisco fires a vibe blast that knocks Reverb off his feet. Clint nocks another arrow and fires, but Reverb opens a breach, and the arrow flies through. A moment later, a breach opens behind Clint, and the arrow flies out of it. Clint manages to deflect the arrow off his bow. But, in the time it takes him, Reverb fires another vibe blast, knocking Clint tumbling. Cisco fires blasts of his own, but Reverb counters them.

As they fight, Tony continues to circle Obadiah, firing his repulsors and missiles. Obadiah laughs as his armor is hardly dented. Then, from behind him, Laurel screams so loud it makes him cringe in pain, and the shock wave knocks Obadiah's suit off balance. Obadiah turns back to her, glaring.

"What power. Too bad it's not enough," he says, aiming a missile at her. He fires, but she screams again, forcing the missile back, causing it to hit Obadiah and detonate. She continues screaming, forcing Obadiah to fly up to avoid her scream.

As the two pairs of Avengers are fighting their enemies, Barry continues to chase Savitar over the landscape of Jotunheim. Getting frustrated, Barry says, "Jocasta, find me something I can use to slow him down."

"There is a weak spot in the cliff just ahead. Hit it, and it will cause the rocks to come down," Jocasta responds.

Barry races in, managing to get close to Savitar, then dashing off to the side. Thinking Barry is running away, Savitar starts to chase him. However, Barry leads him towards the cliff and blasts the spot in question, causing the rocks to come down right on top of Savitar.

Barry stops, looking at the rocks. For a second, he wonders if that had any real effect. Then, the rocks start to move and fall away. Barry quickly races away, and a moment later, Savitar emerges from the rocks and resumes chasing Barry.

Back with the rest of the team, Cisco is beginning to gain the upper hand. Reverb is tiring, and has taken two arrows so far. He tries to hit Cisco with another vibe blast, but Cisco dodges it and fires one of his own. Reverb dodges too, but the motion takes him right into Clint's line of sight, and Clint, with an arrow already ready, fires. The arrow plunges right into Reverb's heart. He jolts a bit, slowly looks down at the arrow, then back up at Cisco before collapsing to the ground.

Cisco and Clint look at Reverb's body for a moment, then at each other. "I hope you didn't take that personally," Clint quips, drawing a chuckle from Cisco.

"Alright. Let's help Tony and Laurel," Cisco says. Clint nods, and they turn towards their two teammates, who are struggling with Obadiah.

Clint fires two explosive arrows, which knock Obadiah back a little bit. Cisco then fires a vibe blast, which knocks him on his back and shorts out a few circuits.

Obadiah gets back to his feet, before Tony knocks him down again with a blow to the head. He lands in front of Obadiah, then unleashes his unibeam on Obadiah. Tony maintains the blast, holding Obadiah at bay. Then, Laurel unleashes her scream, and simultaneously, Cisco begins unleashing vibe blasts.

Obadiah struggles under the combined assault. His armor begins to short out, and some of his weapons begin to go offline.

The three cease their attack, and then Tony unleashes more missiles against him. They don't faze him too much, but they let Laurel get in front of him. Looking right at his chest piece, and the arc reactor, she unleashes her scream. The scream is so loud and shrill, and at so close range, that after several moments, the covering over the arc reactor shatters.

"Clint!" she calls. Clint is waiting with an explosive arrow, and he fires right into the arc reactor. The arrow detonates, blowing the arc reactor apart.

Obadiah cries out in pain from the explosive force, and the suit begins to lose power. Slowly, the front of the suit begins to open, not just from the loss of power, but from the explosion and the effects of Laurel's scream. This creates several openings. Clint fires several more arrows, causing an entire portion of the front to give away.

Tony looks at his old mentor for a moment. "Sorry, Obadiah," he says. And with that, he unleashes his remaining missiles, save for the few anti-Speedster missiles he has, and watches as the blasts consume his old friend.

For several moments the team looks down at the remains of the Iron Monger suit. Then, there's a familiar sound, and Barry and Savitar race back onto the battlefield. Laurel reacts quickly, waiting until Barry has passed by before unleashing her scream, knocking Savitar off his feet.

"Oh. This guy," Tony says. He then raises his arm and fires an anti-Speedster missile. Savitar remembers these missiles, and tries to dash out of the way, but the missile tracks him and detonates right behind him, knocking him flying.

Barry dashes in, hitting Savitar as he is trying to get back to his feet and knocking him tumbling again. As Savitar again gets to his feet, Laurel is dropped near him by Tony, and Laurel unleashes her scream, again knocking Savitar off his feet. Before Savitar can even get back on his feet, Cisco leaps out of a breach and begins unleashing multiple vibe blasts, pummeling Savitar as Tony begins firing his repulsors and Laurel continues screaming. Savitar finds himself trapped on his back, unable to get back on his feet amidst barrage of attacks.

Barry races in and calls, "Stop!" The others cease their attacks, right in time for Barry to start firing his cold blasters, coating Savitar's armor in ice.

Barry speeds out of the way as Savitar starts vibrating to escape from the ice. But, before he can finish, Tony fires his three remaining anti-Speedster missiles, which streak down and all detonate, mangling Savitar's armor beyond use and wounding Savitar.

Savitar phases out of his armor and cries out in anger and pain. "You will all die!" he shouts, and he races right at Barry. Barry runs to meet him, and ducks under his blow and slugs him right in the chest. Savitar struggles back to his feet, but Clint leaps right at him, drawing his sword from his back and driving it right through Savitar's heart. He holds it for a moment before drawing the sword back out. Savitar sways a bit before collapsing, dead.

Clint stands over Savitar's body before turning back to Barry. "Just so you know, that wasn't personal," he says, drawing a bit of a chuckle from Barry.

The team, exhausted from that fight, stands there for a moment. Then, Tony looks down at Loki and asks, "Why is he not dead?"

"Thought Thor would rather us keep him alive and decide what do with him himself," Clint says.

"Fair enough," Tony says.

"Alright, Tony. Where the Stone?" Barry asks.

"FRIDAY, where is it?" Tony asks.

"Right underneath us, boss," FRIDAY responds.

Tony looks around. "I'll try going through there," he says, pointing to the hole in the ice that Obadiah came through. He heads down through the hole, and within a few seconds, emerges into a large ice cave.

Tony scans the cave. And just a few yards away, resting on top of a slab of ice, is the Space Stone. Tony stares at it for a moment before walking over and picking up the Stone. He holds it, staring down at it, for a moment before heading back out.

He bursts back up through the hole created by Obadiah. The team looks at him as he lands in front of them He opens his hand, revealing the Stone to everybody.

"Alright. We got it. Let's get back to Earth," Barry says. He then looks at Cisco and says, "Care to do the honors?"

Cisco nods with a smile. He then raises his fist and opens a breach. The team steps through it, with Clint and Laurel hauling the unconscious Loki.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter. I hope I did good with the battle and I didn't do the victory too easily. Then again, major hero vs villain fights battles in superhero movies or shows never seem to last that long anyways.**

**So, per popular request, Loki has survived. And he will be joining the team for the final battle. Let me know where you would like to see him go after this.**

**Alright. That's it for today. Please leave a review, tell me how I did, and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	19. Chapter 19- The Reality Stone

**Alright, everybody. Back with the second Stone chapter. Let's get to it. **

**Ultimatrix bearer:** Obadiah's suit is still extremely thick and durable, so even at full power with his new suit, he'd wouldn't be able to just stomp Obadiah.

* * *

Chapter 19- Reality Stone

On a rocky plain on Svartalfheim, a breach opens. Stephen steps through, followed by the rest of his team. They all look around at the dark, rocky landscape.

"Geez. I almost feel bad for the Dark Elves, having to live in a place like this," Cassie says.

"They probably prefer it here," Roy says.

Stephen holds up a tracking device, looking at it for a moment. "Alright. This says the Stone is about two miles directly ahead of us," Stephen says.

"Wait," Logan says.

Everyone looks at Logan. Logan stands there, sniffing the air. Then, he extends his claws and whips around. A moment later, about a hundred Dark Elves emerge from behind boulders.

"S***. Thanos must've resurrected them as extra protection," Stephen says.

"You guys go on. I've got this," Logan says.

"Alright. Everyone, run," Stephen says. Everyone turns and starts running away from the Dark Elves, Stephen running at normal speed, as Logan charges at the Dark Elves.

Several Dark Elves fire their energy rifles at him, but Logan dodges most of the bolts. The few that hit him burn him, but the burns quickly heal. Realizing he won't be stopped so easily, a dozen Dark Elves rush him, daggers drawn.

With a roar, Logan slashes the first Dark Elf in half. Others try and slash at him with their daggers, but Logan slashes right through them.

Within seconds, Logan has cut down the first twelve that came after him. He smirks at the remaining Dark Elves, and says, "At least make it a challenge for me." Infuriated, the rest of the Dark Elves race to attack him, and he prepares to meet them again.

As he does, the rest of the team hurry in the direction of the Stone. "It should only be another quarter of a mile," Stephen calls.

Suddenly, up ahead, there's a flash of yellow lightning, and a woman in a speedster's suit appears in front of them, along with a man wearing a normal black suit coat and slacks, and a man wearing some kind of dark suit with some sort of device fixed to his chest.

Stephen narrows his eyes at the speedster, recognizing her from the Flash museum. "Trajectory," he says.

"Nice. A fellow speedster. I've been hoping for a challenge," Trajectory says. She then races right at Stephen, and he dashes to meet her. They speed around each other for a few moments before Trajectory speeds off, and Stephen follows her.

Left behind, Cassie, Roy, Danai, and Rocket all stare at the two other men in front of them. "Who's the guy who looks like he's going to a business meeting?" Danai asks.

"Damien Darhk," Roy says in a low voice, clutching his bow tightly.

"And who's the cyborg guy?" Rocket asks.

"I'm not a cyborg," the other man says.

"Well, then what do we call you?" Cassie asks.

"You can call me Deathstorm," he replies with a smirk.

"Nice name. Can you back it up in fighting skills?" Danai asks.

"Why don't you find out?" Deathstorm responds, still smirking.

Roy continues to glare at Darhk, then says, "Cassie, you and Rocket handle Deathstorm. Danai and I have Darhk." And with that, he rushes at Darhk.

Darhk smirks as he raises his hand, halting Roy in his tracks. Danai uses her totem to summon the power of a cheetah, then sprints right at Darhk. Unable to react fast enough, Darhk is knocked off his feet as Danai slams into him. Roy is freed from Darhk's telekinetic hold, and rushes at Darhk. Darhk manages to get back to his feet, just in time to block a blow from Danai. Roy then reaches him, and the three start fighting.

Meanwhile, Cassie and Rocket have engaged Deathstorm. Rocket is firjng away with two guns. Deathstorm laughs as he either flies out of the way of the blasts. Cassie, shrunk down, flies up to him and hits right in the face with her blasters, knocking him tumbling through the air. Deathstorm, however, recovers quickly and shoots out jets of flame from both hands, forcing Cassie to dodge out of the way.

"You'll have to do better than that," Deathstorm says mockingly.

"Done," responds Cassie loudly enough for Deathstorm to hear before she fires her blasters again, forcing Deathstorm to dodge.

As these two groups are fighting, Stephen and Trajectory are racing across the landscape of Svartalfheim. Despite Trajectory's confidence in herself, Stephen is slowly gaining on her.

Finally, he gets close enough and smirks. His hands begin to glow red, and he hurls an energy blast at her. The blast hits her in the back and knocks her tumbling for about half a mile before she eventually skids to a stop.

Stephen races up to her, grabbing Trajectory and pinning her against a boulder by the neck. She looks at him in surprise and says, "That wasn't a speedster power."

"I know. I'm the son of the Flash and the Scarlet Witch. Speed isn't my only power," Stephen says.

Trajectory punches him in the stomach, forcing him to let her go. She's about to run away, but Stephen uses his powers to lift her into the air and throw her into a massive rock outcropping.

Trajectory groans as Stephen walks a little closer. "I'm sorry to do this, Trajectory. But I need that Stone, and I can't get it if you've alive to guard it," he says. He then hurls an energy blast at the base of the rocky outcropping, which towers over a hundred feet. The bottom of the outcropping is blasted apart, and Stephen then uses his powers to pull the rocks down on top of Trajectory.

Stephen stands there for a moment. It's not the first time he's had to kill, but it's never easy. After a few moments, he turns and speeds back towards the rest of the team.

As he races back to the team, he sees the two battles going on. Not knowing exactly who Darhk is, he sees Deathstorm as the bigger threat. He races right at him, then stops and throws a bolt of lightning at Deathstorm, knocking him flying through the air.

Before Deathstorm is able to right himself, Cassie flies in and punches him right in the chest, knocking him back again. However, one of his burning hands comes very close to Cassie, forcing her to turn away. Deathstorm rights himself and throws a fireball at Stephen, who blocks it with an energy shield.

Meanwhile, Roy and Danai are still fighting hand to hand with Darhk. Despite their skill, Darhk's skill from his time in the League is enough to counter the both of them. Finally, Darhk manages to get in a blow that knocks Danai onto her back. Roy tries to strike Darhk with his bow, but Darhk grabs it and uses his magic to freeze Roy in place.

"I'm gonna enjoy killing you all," Darhk says with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, Roy sees something behind Darhk. He smirks and says, "Maybe some other time," he says.

Before Darhk can respond, and without warning, three metal claws burst through his chest. Darhk freezes, and his hold on Roy is broken. The claws are withdrawn, and Darhk crumples to the ground. Logan looks down at his corpse, then up at Roy and Danai.

"Wow. Not a scratch on you. Didn't realize you healed that fast," Roy says.

"Those Dark Elves weren't even a challenge," Logan says a little arrogantly.

Roy smiles, then turns and helps Danai up. They all look at each other for a moment. Then, a fireball flies over their heads, making them all duck. They turn to see another fireball hit the ground and knock Rocket flying back.

"We should probably help them," Roy says. Logan nods and charges, claws extended. But, a fireball from Deathstorm knocks him back, burning him badly.

"Cassie. You gotta go big," Stephen calls.

"Got it," Cassie says. At a mental command, she grows to a giant size. Deathstorm looks at her in shock, before she swats him and knocks him flying into a boulder. Before Deathstorm can recover, Roy notches an arrow and fires it right into his chest, killing Deathstorm.

The team stands there for a few moments, quiet. Then, Danai says, "I thought it would be harder."

"Don't jinx it," Stephen says. He then looks down at the tracking device and says, "The Stone is just up ahead. Less than a quarter of a mile."

"Let's get it," Logan says. And the team sets off in the direction of the Stone.

As they clear the ridge ahead, they see a platform ahead of them, with the Aether in its fluid form floating above it.

"There it is," Cassie says.

"Alright. Let's get it and get out of here," Logan says. But before any of them can say anything, a knife whizzes up and cuts across Logan's cheek.

"What the?" Logan cries out, drawing everyone's attention to him for a moment. Then, movement catches their eyes. They turn to see someone that looks like a Dark Elf walking towards them, but without a mask, and more powerfully built. Remembering Thor telling them about the Aether, Stephen recognizers who this must be.

"Malekith," he says in a low voice.

Malekith looks at them for a moment before saying in a very deep voice, "You have fought valiantly. For all the good it did you. I may not be able to return this universe to what it should be. But I can begin to take from Thor Odinson what he took from me." Then, Malekith reaches out a hand, and the Aether begins to float towards him. Then, as if Malekith's body has become a hose, the Aether begins to be sucked into Malekith's body very quickly. Within seconds, the Aether has vanished inside Malekith, whose eyes have now turned red.

Malekith laughs evilly. "There may be six of you. But with the might of the Aether now mine, you will fall!" he declares. Then, he thrusts his arms forward, sending tendrils of energy lashing out at the team, forcing them to dodge aside.

Rocket opens fire on Malekith, but the Dark Elf deflects the bolts with the Aether. Cassie grows again, but to her shock, Malekith quickly grows as well to almost the same height. Cassie throws a punch, but Malekith ducks and throws a punch of his own, knocking Cassie onto her back. The team scatters to avoid getting squashed under her.

Malekith laughs as returns to normal size. He then unleashes another blast of energy at the team, knocking Logan and Danai flying. Roy starts firing arrows at Malekith, but Malekith easily dodges them.

Stephen races around Malekith building speed for a lightning throw. After a few seconds he slows and throws the lightning bolt. Maleith blocks with the Aether, but the distraction allows Roy to fire another arrow, which cuts across Malekith's cheek. Malekith raises his hand to the spot, as if surprised that Roy got a hit in.

Rocket yells loudly as he charges at Malekith, firing his guns. Malekith just smirksat him before unleashing another blast from the Aether, knocking Rocket flying back into a rock, knocking him out.

Danai presses her hand to her totem, summoning the spirit of rhino. She then charges right at Malekith. Malekith unleashes another blast from the Aether, but Danai ducks under it and continues her charge, slamming into Malekith and knocking him flying about 15 feet.

Stephen races in as Logan takes a run at him too. However, to their surprise, Malekith teleports out of the way, causing Stephen to accidently run right into Logan.

As Roy fires more arrows and Cassie rushes at Malekith, Stephen looks at Logan. "He's too powerful with the Aether in him. Even Roy's arrow hardly scratched him," he says.

"Well, my claws are coated in adamantium. I could deal some serious damage if I could get close enough. But I don't think I can without a distraction," Logan says.

Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off in Stephen's head. "I got an idea," he mutters. Then, over comms, he says, "Guys, keep Malekith occupied. Logan and I are gonna try something." Then, he races away, pulling Logan with him.

Cassie shrinks down and begins firing her blasters at Malekith. A few make it through the swirling mass Malekith has summoned in front of him with the Aether, but they affect him about as much as bee stings.

Roy fires another arrow, but Malekith deflects it. Roy rushes towards Malekith along with Danai, but Malekith knocks them back with a blast from the Aether.

Cassie returns to normal size. She then grabs a small rock about the size of a baseball off the ground and throws it at Malekith. A second later, she raises one of her arms and fires a Pym Disc at it, causing it to grow to the size of a boulder. It comes down right towards Malekith, but he releases a blast from the Aether to destroy it.

Miles away, Stephen continues to run, building up speed. Finally, he's travelling about Mach 8.

"Alright, Logan. Get ready to hit him on the other side," he orders before he raises his free hand, with the extrapolator in it, and opens a breach ahead of him. He then throws Logan through the breach, turning around immediately after to race back to the battle site.

Back at the battle site, Malekith knocks Cassie aside with the Aether, then stomps over to where Roy is. He looks down at Roy, and says in his fierce voice, "I think I will start by killing you."

Right then, a breach opens about five feet behind Malekith. Before the Dark Elf can even respond, Logan flies through the breach, claws extended. And without even needing to move his hands, his claws slice right through Malekith's neck, beheading the Dark Elf.

Logan goes tumbling across the ground as Malekith's head and corpse fall to the ground separately. A moment later, Stephen comes racing up. He looks down at Malekith's body, and says, "Well. That worked."

Logan gets to his feet and heads over to revive Rocket. Once he does, the two join the others in gathering around Malekith's body.

After a few moments, Danai asks, "Why isn't there any blood?"

"I don't know," Stephen says.

A moment later, Roy says, "Wait, look."

Everyone looks to the stump of Malekith's neck, where something red is seeping out. Everyone quickly realizes what it is, and take a few steps back as the Aether slowly flows out of Malekith's neck. After a few moments, the last remnants of the Stone flow out of Malekith's corpse.

"Rocket," Stephen says. Rocket nods and pulls out a device. He holds it out and presses a button. Within seconds, the Aether is sucked into the device.

Everyone is quiet for a moment before Roy says, "Alright. We've got it. Let's get back to Earth."

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope you liked my choice of guards. I know Malekith may have lasted longer in reality, but I think once Stephen made that plan to use Logan like that, he wouldn't have lasted long. He may be tough, but he couldn't withstand razor sharp adamantium claws travelling at several times the speed of sound.**

**I know Stephen killed Trajectory may come as a shock. But, given how the twins were raised, and that they studied under Slade, I don't find it unbelievable.**

**Also, regarding Cassie's suit, she can mentally command it's size shifting abilities without having to press buttons every time, which is actually how Hope's suit works. So, in this, Cassie's Stinger suit works the same way.**

**Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Until then, leave a review and tell me what you thought of this one, and stay tuned!**


	20. Chapter 20- The Power Stone

**Alright. Back with another chapter. Here we go with the third Stone battle. It's a bit shorter than the last two. Let's get to it.**

**Ultimatrix Bearer: **Hulk's opponent is gonna be more exciting than Zoom.

* * *

Chapter 20- The Power Stone

On the ruined plains of what was once Daxam, a breach opens. And from out of the breach step Oliver, Natasha, Nora, Slade, and Nebula.

The team takes a moment, taking in the sight of the ruined planet. "Man. What happened here?" Oliver asks.

"A great power came to Daxam, and destroyed it decades ago," Nebula says simply. Nobody asks further questions.

"Alright. Where do we go?" Natasha asks.

Nebula pulls out a tracking device. She examines the screen for a moment, then points off to their right. "This way, about a mile," she says, and begins walking in that direction. The team follows her, wondering what they might have to face.

After almost 20 minutes, Nora asks, "Nebula, how close are we?"

Nebula checks the device again. "We are almost there," she says.

Suddenly, a bolt of red lightning streaks out and begins racing around them. A moment later, a man in a black suit, with a massive yellow lightning bolt on his chest, stops in front of them.

Nora narrows her eyes. "The Rival," she says.

Rival chuckles. "Good to see you know about me. Maybe you can be my new rival," he says.

"You can't be here alone. Who's with you?" Oliver demands.

Rival smirks. A second later, a figure leaps over a boulder and lands beside Rival. Oliver immediately recognizes him.

"Prometheus," he growls.

Prometheus laughs and pulls off his mask, revealing the face of Adrian Chase. He chuckles a bit more and says, "Hello, Oliver. Good to see you again."

Oliver, who was already aware of Chase's identity as Prometheus thanks to Barry telling him, just glares at his old enemy. Then, a moment later, another man walks out from behind a boulder. However, his skin is blue, he's wearing some kind of black armor, and wielding a hammer. And in the head of the hammer is set the Power Stone.

"Ronan," Nebula says in surprise.

"You shall pay for siding with the enemy, Nebula," Ronan says.

"I doubt it," Slade says for her.

Suddenly, before they can react, another man steps into view. He's wearing just pants, with no shirt, revealing some dragon tattoos. His very skin seems to glow with heat.

It takes Natasha only a moment to recognize him from Tony's files. "Aldrich Killian," she says.

"Natasha Romanoff. Nice to meet you at last. I must say, I'm disappointed Tony didn't come. You'll do, though," Killian says.

The two sides face each other down. After a few moments, Oliver says, "Nora, you've got the Rival. Nat, you take Prometheus. Slade, Nebula, you've got Killian. I'll take Ronan." Everyone nods, and with that, the five Avengers rush their enemies.

Rival smirks and races at Nora. She turns and races away, and the Rival pursues her.

Natasha fires her pistols at Chase, but Chase ducks behinds boulders to avoid the bullets. He then jumps back into view and throws a shuriken at her. Natasha dodges it and draws her batons. Chase draws his sword and slashes at her. Natasha blocks it with her batons, and the two begin exchanging rapid blows with sword and baton.

Slade and Nebula rush at Killian, weapons at the ready. Killian smirks and breathes fire at them, but the two easily dodge it. Nebula throws one of her electroshock batons, hitting Killian across the face, though it doesn't hurt him too much. However, it provides a brief distraction for Slade. Slade slashes with his sword and cuts off Killian's hand. Killian growls and punches Slade with his other hand, knocking him back.

Nebula helps Slade back to his feet. As they look back at Killian, they are shocked to see his severed hand already regrowing. Killian smirks at the two of them and says, "You'll have to do better than that." He runs at them, and Nebula and Slade prepare to meet him.

Meanwhile, Oliver is firing arrows at Ronan. Ronan blocks them with his weapon, then fires a beam from the Power Stone at Oliver. Oliver ducks aside and fires another arrow. The arrow catches Ronan in the shoulder. The Kree growls as he pulls the arrow out. He fires another blast from the Stone at Oliver, but Oliver dodges aside and rushes at Ronan. Ronan adjusts his grip on his weapon and rushes to meet Oliver.

As these three fights are taking place, Nora is racing across the landscape of Daxam, the Rival right behind her. Despite Rival's boasting, he finds himself unable to keep up with Nora. They race over the boulders, up cliffs, and through canyons. Nora smiles as she looks back and sees the distance between her and the Rival slowly increasing.

Nora races around a boulder, then stops and sticks out her leg. The Rival runs around the boulder, and before he can react, trips over Nora's leg and goes tumbling across the landscape, eventually crashing into a boulder.

As the Rival lies on the ground, groaning in pain from the blow, Nora races up and begins landing a series of speed punches. Rival cries out in pain. After a few seconds, Nora smirks and says, "Catch me if you can," before racing off again. The Rival takes another few moments to regain his bearings before speeding off after Nora, going a tiny bit slower than before.

Back at the battle site, Natasha is still battling Chase. The two's skill level is about equal, with neither managing to have landed a real blow against the other yet.

Then, Chase gets in a fierce blow and knocks one of Natasha's batons out of her hand. Smirking, he slashes at her, but in a really quick move, Natasha is able to use her remaining baton to twist Chase's sword out of his grip, causing it and her remaining baton toe clatter to the ground.

Without missing a beat, Chase throws a punch right at her head. Natasha deflects it, and the two begin fighting hand to hand without weapons. But once again, neither of them finds themselves able to get an upper hand.

Finally, Natasha manages to get in a lucky hit when she manages to land a kick against Chase's knee. It throws Chase off a bit, and makes his next blow a little sloppy. Natasha grabs his arm, then rotates her wrist a bit and shoots out a taser disk from her Widow's Bite, causing Chase to freeze and convulse a bite.

Natasha wastes no time, punching Chase in the face before ducking behind him and grabbing him around the neck. She gets a more firm hold on him and says, "Have a nice trip back to hell, Chase." And with a sharp motion, she snaps his neck. She holds on for a second before letting his body drop to the ground.

After a moment, Natasha looks up. Oliver is still going toe to toe with Ronan, and Slade and Nebula are still trying to get a lasting blow in on Killian. After a second of indecision, she turns towards Ronan and pulls out her pistol, firing off the rest of the rounds in her clip. Most don't make it through Ronan's armor, but ones goes through the side of his neck, causing the rogue Kree to stumble back in surprise. Oliver takes the chance, slamming his bow into Ronan's face and knocking him to the ground.

Oliver leaps at him, drawing an arrow, ready to stab it down at Ronan. However, Ronan brings up his armor, slamming the head of it into Oliver's chest. Oliver's armor holds, but the blow is enough to knock him flying through the air. Natasha rushes in to take his place, batons at the ready. She jabs one into Ronan's chest as he's regaining his feet, forcing him to stumble back.

Ronan swings his hammer at Natasha, but she ducks under the blow. Ronan goes in for another blow, but Oliver, who has regained his feet, shoots an arrow at him, forcing Ronan onto the defensive. Oliver runs to rejoin the fight.

Meanwhile, Nebula and Slade are starting to tire a bit, while Killian still seems as fresh as ever. He's managed to deal some pretty bad bruises to them, and burned both of them.

Killian deals a punch right to Slade's chest, knocking him back. Nebula hurries to pull him back to his feet.

As she pulls him up, Slade says, "I need you to restrain him for just a moment. I just need a few seconds." Nebula nods, then runs right at Killian, electroshock batons at the ready.

Killain, his hands red hot, throws a punch right at Nebula's face. Nebula ducks under it, then jumps up, jabbing her batons into Killian's neck as she goes. This temporarily stuns him, allowing Nebula, who's now on Killian's shoulders, to use her legs to restrain his arms. Killian starts to recover and move to get out of Nebula's grip. But, before he can, Slade runs up, and, putting his entire force into the strike, slashes his sword at Killian's midsection, and cuts him in half.

The two halves of Killian's body fall to the ground as Nebula leaps off him. For a split second, it looks as though Killian might still be able to move. That is, until Slade's follows up with his strike and cuts off Killian's head. Finally, he stops moving.

Slade and Nebula both stare down at Killian's corpse, rather exhausted from the battle. Finally, after a few moments, they look at each other. "Good job," Slade says.

"You as well," Nebula responds.

An explosion draws their attention. They turn to see Oliver and Natasha thrown back by an explosion from the Power Stone, Ronan standing ready to attack them again. Slade springs into action, drawing a knife and throwing it at Ronan. It slashes across Ronan's exposed hand, causing him to cry in pain.

Nebula runs right at him, uttering a loud war cry. Ronan turns to face Nebula, anger on his face. He raises his hammer, but Oliver fires an arrow at him, which embeds itself in his shoulder. Ronan cries out in pain again, drawing his attention of Nebula. Nebula lunges at Ronan, striking him several times with her batons before knocking him to the ground with a particularly fierce blow. Then, before Ronan can regain his feet, Oliver fits another arrow to his bow, channeling his bow's power, and fires the arrow. The arrow, wreathed in lightning, flies straight and true and goes right through Ronan's outstretched hand and buries itself in his eye. Ronan collapses back against the ground, dead.

Everyone stares at Ronan's corpse for a moment. Then, Nora and the Rival speed onto the scene. The Rival is recovering from the blows Nora landed, and is gaining on her. As they watch, he catches up, grabs her, and pins her against a boulder.

"You're a worthy rival. Sorry it has to end this way," he says.

Oliver, seeing this, reacts quickly, firing an arrow at him, which goes right into his back. The Rival cries out in pain and lets go of Nora. Nora races out of the way, and back to the team.

The Rival turns to face them, face contorted in pain. Nebula, mind racing through what to do, looks down and sees Ronan's hammer lying on the ground, with the Power Stone set in it. Reacting on instinct, she leaps forward, reaches out with her cybernetic arm, and pulls the Power Stone out of the hammer.

Instantly, she is flooded with the power of the Stone, yelling out in pain. Remembering the story Rocket told about the Power Stone, Oliver hurries forward and grabs hold of Nebula's hand. The power of the Stone begins to flood into him as well. Within moments, Slade, Nora, and Natasha all grab each other's hands, and Natasha grabs Nebula's other hand. The power floods between the five of them, dissipating enough between them.

The Rival stares at them in shock. "No," he says. And that's all he has time to do, before Nebula unleashes a powerful stream of energy from the Stone. The Rival screams in pain as his body begins to disintegrate. Finally, after tense moments of watching this, the Rival's body explodes.

For a few seconds, the team remains where it is. Then, Oliver pulls out a containment device and snaps it around the Power Stone. As he does, the power dissipates, and the team collapses to the ground, exhausted from what they just did.

It takes a minute before Oliver is able to raise his head. "Wow. That power…was incredible," he gasps.

Everyone nods. They take a few minutes to catch their breath and rest a bit. Finally, they're able to stand again. For a minute, they all look around at each other. Finally, Oliver says, "Alright. You guys did great. Now, we've got the Stone. Let's get back to Earth." He raises the extrapolator and activates it, opening the breach. And together, the team walks through the breach.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope you liked my guard choices. And how I did the battle. I decided to kinda recreate the death of Ronan from _Guardians of the Galaxy_, but directed at the Rival instead of Ronan. Hope you liked my choice to do that.**

**Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Hope you're excited for it. Until then, leave a review and give me your thoughts, and stay tuned!**


	21. Chapter 21- The Mind Stone

**Alright. Here we go. The fourth Stone battle. Hope you like it.**

**Arrowverse Fan 217: **There won't be any dedicated A Force stories, but there will be A Force moments in the future.

**Guest 1: **You'll just have to wait until the Vormir chapter to find out.

**Guest 2: **Maybe on future Iris trouble. And no, I'm not on those sites. I'm only on .

* * *

Chapter 21- The Mind Stone

A hot wind blows over the ruins of Skrullos. As small clouds of dust sweep across the barren plains, a breach opens, and Banner walks out of it, followed by Azari, Morgan, Pietro, and Rhodey.

Banner looks over the landscape of Skrullos, and the ruins of cities. "How could the Kree do this?" he mutters to himself.

"Alright. We're here. Where do we go now?" Rhodey asks.

"I've got a reading on the Mind Stone. About two clicks north of us," Morgan says.

"Anything else?" Azari asks.

"Nothing else showing up," Morgan responds.

Everyone's quiet for a moment. Then, Banner says, "Alright. Everybody, be cautious. We have no idea where Thanos' guards are." Everyone nods, and follows Banner as they start heading north.

As the team moves through the ruins of the outskirts of a Skrull city, closing to within a mile of the location of the Stone, Morgan says, "Guys, I'm getting life readings closing in."

Suddenly, there's a roar of anger. A dark shape leaps down from a ruined building. And Grodd roars at them again.

"Grodd," Banner says, recognizing the massive gorilla from Barry's description of him.

_Puny humans. You will fall before Grodd_, Grodd says through his telepathy.

"Really? Because there's five of us, and one of you," Morgan says.

Suddenly, there's a flash of blue lightning, and a man in a black suit with a monstrous mask speeds into view.

"Not quite," the speedster says in a monstrous voice.

From what Barry said about him, Pietro recognizes him. "Zoom," he mutters.

Zoom tilts his head a bit, examining Pietro. "A speedster? Interesting. This will be fun," he says, laughing.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a black and gold suit leaps into view. Behind his mask, Azari narrows his eyes, recognizing the man from stories told by his mother. "Killmonger," he mutters.

There's quiet for a moment before Morgan asks, "Is that it?"

There's quiet again for a moment, then a metal figure flies over a ruined city and sets down in front of the other three guards. He chuckles a bit and says, "Well. How nice to see you here, Bruce."

Banner's eyes narrow. "Ultron," he says in a low voice.

"In the flesh. Well…you get what I mean," Ultron says. He pauses for a moment before he says, "You know, when I realized Thanos brought me back just to serve as his guard dog, I was more angry than I've ever been. As I've said, there are no strings on me. But now, I feel somewhat grateful. Grateful that I have a second chance to destroy the Avengers."

Banner stands there for a second. Internally, he asks the Hulk, _Caitlin was right. Maybe you were meant to be part of me. I'm done treating you like a disease. Now, are you ready to fight?_

_Hulk ready,_ comes the response. Banner smiles, feeling that maybe he and the Hulk finally have resolved their differences.

"Let's do this," Banner says as his eyes flash green. His skin begins to swell and turn green. Within seconds, the Hulk is standing before them.

Hulk roars angrily, and Grodd answers with a roar of his own. The two rush at each other, and Hulk jumps on Grodd, knocking the gorilla to the ground. Grodd roars at him angrily and throws a punch at him, but Hulk grabs Grodd's fist. Hulk then tries to throw a punch with his free hand, but Grodd stops it in the same way.

The two growl as they look at each other. Grodd tries to reach out with his mind and take control of Hulk, but is surprised to find that Hulk's mind is seemingly blocked to him. Hulk snarls and says, "Grodd no match for Hulk." He then shifts his grip on Grodd's hand and throws Grodd several hundred yards. He then bounds off to re-engage.

As this fight is beginning, the other guards are preparing to engage the remaining Avengers. Zoom races right at Pietro, who races to meet him. The two run in a circle several times before Zoom runs off and up a ruined skyscraper, Pietro following him close behind.

As the two speedsters race off, Azari takes a run right at Killmonger. Killmonger smirks beneath his mask. As Azari reaches him, Azari slashes at Killmonger's head. Killmonger easily blocks the blow, and the two start exchanging furious blows.

Meanwhile, Ultron, Morgan, and Rhodey take to the air. Rhodey releases a missile right at Ultron, but the murderous robot is hardly affected by the blast. He laughs and says, "My body is made of Vibranium, you idiot."

"Well then, we'll just keep fighting until we find a weakness," Morgan says. She fires her repulsors at Ultron, who counters with his own concussion beams. The two meet, resulting in a massive blast that knocks Ultron, Morgan, and Rhodey all flying through the air. Rhodey recovers first, and flies straight at Ultron, grabbing him and flying him into a building. Ultron is unfazed and fires his concussion beams at Rhodey, knocking him back. Morgan flies in to take his place, and begins exchanging punches with Ultron.

* * *

Several blocks away, Grodd and Hulk are still exchanging furious punches. Grodd is still trying to psychically attack Hulk, but is still unable to do anything against Hulk's mind. Grodd is also realizing that his strength is below that of Hulk's.

Grodd grabs a dead tree and swings it at Hulk. Hulk grabs the tree and yanks it out of Grodd's hand, then delivers an uppercut to the underside of Grodd's chin, and knocks Grodd flying almost a hundred feet. Hulk then leaps the distance between him and Grodd and begins punching Grodd in the face. He manages to land several punches before Grodd manages to land a punch right in the center of Hulk's chest, knocking Hulk flying back. Grodd takes a moment to recover, then gets back on his feet. He glares at Hulk, who is also on his feet, and the two roar at each other before rushing at each other.

* * *

Zoom and Pietro continue their race over the landscape in and around the ruined city. To Zoom's surprise, Pietro is able to keep up with him.

Knowing he needs to do something, Zoom turns around and throws a lightning bolt at Pietro. The bolt hits Pietro in the chest, knocking him back into a building.

Zoom races up and pins Pietro against the wall by the throat. "You may be fast. But speed alone won't beat me," he says arrogantly.

Pietro smirks at Zoom, then vibrates and phases out of Zoom's grip. He then punches Zoom hard in the gut as he says, "You didn't see that coming?"

Zoom stumbles back, then growls and races at Pietro. Pietro ducks aside and avoids the blow. "Catch me if you can," he says before racing off, Zoom growls and pursues his enemy.

* * *

Azari ducks under a blow from Killmonger and slashes at Killmonger's head. Killmonger grabs Azari's hand before jumping up and kicking Azari in the side of the head, knocking him back. Azari quickly flips himself back onto his feet. He sees Killmonger running at him, and ducks down to throw Killmonger over his shoulder.

He turns to face Killmonger as Killmonger jumps back to his feet. "You nearly ruined my country. I will take pleasure in killing you," Azari says as he rushes to re-engage Killmonger.

* * *

In the sky overhead, Morgan flies back through the air thanks to a powerful blast from Ultron. Rhodey releases a barrage of rockets at Ultron, but the explosions hardly even faze him. Ultron releases a blast at Rhodey, which knocks him back into a building and destroying the machine gun on his back.

Morgan flies right back at Ultron, who flies to meet her. They clash, throwing punches and trying to knock each other down. Ultron gets his hand around Morgan's neck and throws her so hard she goes flying through a building to land on the ground on the other side.

Ultron laughs out loud. "You can't defeat me. I'm going to enjoy killing Stark's daughter and friend," he says.

"You can try," Rhodey responds as he flies up to re-engage.

* * *

Hulk stumbles back after Grodd lands a particularly strong punch to the side of his head.

_Come on, big guy! You can do this! Let's end this,_ Banner says to Hulk in their shared mind.

Hulk growls and lunges for Grodd. Grodd tries to sweep Hulk aside, but Hulk blocks the blow and shoves Grodd back into a building. Hulk then jumps up to the top of a skyscraper, grabbing a pole off of it. He then jumps down, holding the pole like a spear. He falls all the way back to the ground, and drives the pole into Grodd's chest. Grodd gives a cry of pain, then slumps back against the ground and takes his last breath.

Hulk stands over Grodd for a moment. Then he mutters, "Puny Grodd."

* * *

Meanwhile, Azari is still exchanging blows with Killmonger. By this point, Azari has realized that his claws aren't going to penetrate Killmonger's suit. As Killmonger tries to slash at his head, Azari ducks below it. He then slams his fist against the ground, causing his suit to release its built up kinetic energy, knocking Killmonger flying. Azari sprints after him. Before Killmonger can react, Azari manages to get his arms around Killmonger's head, and with a very sharp twist, snaps Killmonger's neck.

Azari drops Killmonger's corpse to the ground. He stares down at Killmonger for a moment before saying, "Wakanda Forever."

* * *

Pietro races off the edge of the ruined skyscraper, flying through the air to the next building and continuing running. He glances back, and sees Zoom hot on his tail.

Pietro spurs himself faster, racing out of the city and into some small foothills at the base of mountain range. He races around a hill, and ducks into cave. He waits for a second, then, as Zoom races up, hurtles out of the cave, body slamming Zoom and knocking him back into a boulder. Pietro races up to him, grabbing Zoom by the neck and pinning him against the boulder. Then, before Zoom can respond, Pietro vibrates his hand and shoves it through Zoom's chest.

Pietro holds his hand there for a moment. "That's for everything you did to my brother in law," Pietro growls before pulling his hand back out, and letting Zoom's corpse fall to the ground. He waits there for a moment, then turns and races back towards where the rest of the team is.

* * *

Rhodey crashes against the building, groaning a bit in frustration. His armor is a little scorched from Ultron's attack.

Morgan fires her repulsors again, knocking Ultron through the air a few feet. Ultron responds with concussion blasts, which Morgan dodges. Before Ultron can fire again, Rhodey soars back up and unleashes his unibeam. Morgan unleashes hers as well. Ultron holds his arms up, but the two combined unibeams begin to melt his arms.

A roar draws their attention. Morgan and Rhodey quickly stop their unibeams, right before Hulk flies out no nowhere and tackles Ultron out of the air. They fly down to the ground, Hulk smashing Ultron against the ground. Hulk begins pounding Ultron as hard as he can, managing to get in multiple blows before Ultron uses his anti-gravity weapons to yank a piece of rubble towards him, knocking Hulk off of him.

Ultron regains his feet. "You're not going to beat me with pure strength, monster," he says.

Right then, Pietro races out of nowhere, right behind Ultron, and phases his hand right into Ultron's chest. He smirks and says, "Maybe not. But he can distract you." He then rips out UItron's power core.

Ultron collapses to the ground, his eyes beginning to dim. He is able to say, "Pietro," before losing power completely.

Everyone stands there, staring down at the remains of Ultron. Finally, Morgan says, "Wait until I tell my dad about this."

This breaks the tension, and the others begin to laugh. After a few moments, Rhodey says, "We should get the Stone. Morgan, you still got a reading on it?"

"Yeah. About a mile from here," she says.

Morgan starts walking in the direction her sensors are indicating, the team following her. About 20 minutes later, they end up at a small building at the edge of the city. Entering the building, they quickly spot the Mind Stone resting in a small glass case.

Pietro walks up to the Stone, staring at the object that gave him and his sister their powers. Then, he picks up a piece of rubble about the size of baseball and uses it to smash the case. He then reaches down and picks up the Stone. He stares down at it for a moment before he turns back to the team and says, "Alright. We got it. Let's get home."

Hulk takes a deep breath, then slowly begins to shrink back down into Banner. Once he does, Banner takes a moment to compose himself, then looks up at the team, pulling out the extrapolator. "Good job, team," he says. He then activates the extrapolator, and the team walks through the breach back to Earth.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this chapter.**

**I hope you liked my guard choices. When I originally started writing this, I had the list of guards as being Killmonger, Grodd, Devoe, and Captain Cold. But, when I started, I realized I couldn't bring myself to bring back Snart like that, and that with the team I had, it would be Morgan and Rhodey that would fight Devoe, and he could just use Killgore's powers to stop them. And honestly, Devoe with all the bus meta powers is a little too powerful for so few people to deal with. Plus, I hated Devoe as a villain. So, I decided to change Devoe to Ultron to make it a more fair fight (and I thought it appropriate, since Ultron came from the Stone). And I decided to change Snart to Zoom to feature another speedster fight, and because despite my initial reservations, given that Black Flash is still "alive" in the MACU, Zoom is technically dead.**

**I also hope you liked the "Puny Grodd" line. I thought it was too good a line to pass up. I know some of you may be disappointed that Grodd is dead, but honestly, I don't think I'm gonna have any need for him in a future story, since the events of the Grodd vs King Shark episode have already happened.**

**Next chapter will actually feature something important in the battle (besides just fighting for the Stone). Until it gets posted, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	22. Chapter 22- The Time Stone

**Alright. Here we go. The fifth Stone battle. This one's gonna have a very important development. Let's go. **

**Coolrod: **Let me make something clear. I don't have anything against _Smallville_. I know it has a very large, dedicated fanbase. I just have never seen the show, and know next to nothing about it. I'll do some research, and probably include _Smallville_ characters in my eventual _Crisis on Infinite Earths_ story. But beyond that, I will likely not include any characters from _Smallville_. I'm not gonna write whole stories including _Smallville_ characters just to appease you because you don't think I'm including enough in my MACU. If you can't handle the fact that people have different ideas and priorities than you, then you've got problems.

* * *

Chapter 22- Time Stone

The skies over Maveth, which rarely change, begin to swirl and glow. Then, the beam of the Bifrost bridge shoots down from the sky and hits the ground. The Bifrost holds for a few moments before it vanishes, revealing Thor, Bobby, Bruce, Zoe, Diana, and Kara.

The team scans the surrounding landscape for a few moments. Then, Bobby says, "Well. This place sure looks unwelcoming."

"No kidding," Bruce says.

There's quiet for a moment before Diana asks, "Where is the Stone?"

Bruce pulls a tracking device from his utility belt and looks at it. "A couple miles west. This way," he says, and starts walking in the right direction. The other five members of the strike team follow him.

For almost an hour, the strike team treks over the landscape of Maveth. Their path leads them into a small mountain range.

As the group rounds a foothill, coming into an open area, they stop short. Standing on a pedestal in the middle of the clearing is the Time Stone.

They all look at the Stone before Bobby says, "This is too easy."

Right as he says this, a man walks into view. A man wearing a trench coat, and with long hair and a beard. Zoe recognizes him from old photos. "That's Vandal Savage. He's a very dangerous fighter, and he's immortal. Then again, if Thanos brought him back, I'm not sure he would have made Savage immortal," she says.

Right as she says this, another man appears out of nowhere. His eyes are heavily discolored, and gold energy shields spring up around his hands.

"I recognize that guy. Ilan. A Master of the Mystic Arts that Barry fought," Kara says.

Then, Thor goes pale, as another figure walks into view from around a boulder. A woman, wearing green clothing, and an intricate black headdress, a sword in hand.

"Who's the lady?" Bruce asks.

"My sister. Hela. The goddess of death. Her power rivaled even that of my father, Odin. I was forced to unleash the fire demon Surtur in order to kill her to protect my people, but at the cost of Asgard being destroyed. However, she drew her power from Asgard. With Asgard destroyed, she will hopefully be weaker," Thor explains.

"Great. An immortal warlord, a sorcerer, and a goddess of death. What else could there be?" Bobby asks.

Almost immediately after he says this, a thudding footstep is heard. More follow. Zoe turns to Bobby and says sarcastically, "You had to ask."

A moment later, a dark shape appears from around a boulder. After a few more steps, it's appearance becomes visible. Several eyes widen in surprise at its appearance, but Thor's eyes widen in recognition.

"The Destroyer," he says in shock.

"What is that, Thor?" Kara asks.

"An ancient suit of armor designed as a powerful, nigh indestructible weapon to guard the weapons vault on Asgard. It was sent by my brother Loki to kill me some years ago, but I was able to destroy it," Thor explains.

A chill runs down all their spines as they realize the power they are facing. Thor, however, recomposes himself, putting on a determined expression. "I shall deal with Hela. Kara, you must handle the Destroyer. Bobby and Diana, you two deal with Ilan. Bruce, Zoe, you must deal with Savage," he says.

The team all nods. Thor then utters a war cry as lightning covers the head of Stormbreaker, and Thor leaps into the air, flying towards Hela. She races to meet him.

As the two siblings move to engage, Bruce and Zoe race towards Savage. Bruce throws a batarang at Savage, who deflects it with a knife. Zoe pulls out her batons, and as she gets close to Savage, takes a swing at him. Savage deflects it, and strikes back. The two start exchanging blows, and the fight becomes a three person affair within seconds as Bruce joins the fight.

Bobby soars over the landscape on an ice bridge, as Diana races below him with her sword at the ready. Ahead of them, Ilan smirks, conjuring two Space shards. He throws one at each of his opponents, but Bobby easily dodges the one aimed at him, and Diana blocks the one thrown at her with her shield. She continues running, and throws herself the last few feet towards Ilan, sword extended. Ilan conjures a Space Shard and blocks her sword with it. Diana begins slashing at him, but Ilan manages to hold her back. Barely.

Bobby circles around Ilan and releases a blast of ice at Ilan. Ilan is forced to jump back and conjure an energy shield to protect himself. Diana runs forward to engage him again, but Ilan unleashes several tendrils of energy, forcing her back. She quickly regains her feet, however, and twirls her sword in hand. "You are skilled. But not enough to beat us," she says as she runs at him again.

As this is going on, Kara flies straight at the Destroyer. The Destroyer fires a beam of energy from its head, but Kara ducks under it, still flying, and slams into the Destroyer's chest. To her surprise, she feels some pain from the impact, but she holds steady and keeps flying, slamming the Destroyer against a boulder. The Destroyer responds with a punch that knocks Kara flying back. She glares at the Destroyer before flying right back at it.

* * *

Thor bellows his war cry as he swings Stormbreaker at Hela's head. Hela quickly conjures a sword, blocking Stormbreaker.

As the two struggle against each other, Thor says, "How could you serve Thanos, sister? Have you really fallen so far?"

"I have no choice in the matter. Nevertheless, I am grateful he brought me back. Now, I have a second chance to kill you," Hela says. She then conjures a small dagger and drives it into Thor's stomach. Thor cries out in pain, dropping Stormbreaker. Hela smirks at Thor before raising her sword, intending to bring it down on Thor's neck. However, at the last moment, Thor rolls aside, dodging the strike. He summons Stormbreaker back to his hand, swinging it at Hela's leg, opening a cut on her leg. The cut quickly begins to heal, but Hela stumbles back a step, growling a bit.

"You'll have to do better than that, brother," she says.

"Very well," Thor responds as he attacks her again with Stormbreaker. She blocks it with another conjured sword, and the siblings exchange furious blows.

* * *

Bruce ducks to avoid a thrown knife by Savage. He throws a batarang at Savage, who grabs the batarang out of the air before it can hit him.

Zoe lunges at Savage again, batons at the ready. Savage blocks her batons with two large knives before forcing Zoe back and slashing at her, opening a cut on her side. Zoe cries out in pain.

Savage moves to stab Zoe with one of his knives. However, Bruce races forward and throws a punch right at Savage's face. Savage dodges the punch, then slashes at Bruce with one of his knives. Bruce raises his arm, letting the knife hit one of his thick wrist guards. Bruce then reaches up with his other hand and pulls the knife out of Savage's hands. He then slashes at Savage, who crosses his knife against Bruce's.

As the two struggle, Savage says, "I am impressed. Your skill is impressive. But I have millenia more experience than you."

"But I've got something you don't. Backup," Bruce says. Right then, Zoe releases her cry, causing Savage to step back and clap his hands over his ears in pain. Bruce, who's wearing earbuds to protect against the noise, smirks and delivers a strong kick to Savage's chest, knocking him back into a boulder.

Zoe races to engage him again. However, as she swings one of her batons at Savage's face, he reaches his hand up and grabs the baton. He forces it out of the way, and tries to punch Zoe. However, she deflects the punch, and the two begin exchanging blows again as Bruce hurries to join the fight.

* * *

Diana is thrown back into a wall by a surge of energy from Ilan. As Ilan smirks at her, Bobby shoots a series of icicles at Ilan, who deflects it with energy shields. He then throws a Space Shard at Bobby, who counters it with a blast of ice.

Diana, regaining her feet, glares at Ilan. She reaches up with her hand and slams one of her wrist cuffs down onto the rim of her shield, sending a shockwave out that knocks Ilan flying into a building. The fallen sorcerer shakes himself back to his senses, and sees Diana running right at him, uttering a loud war cry. He conjures a Space Shard, and an energy shield over his free hand, and runs to meet her.

* * *

Kara flies back as the Destroyer hits her with another blast of energy.

"Ugh. This thing's as strong as a Kryptonian," she mutters as she flies at the Destroyer again. However, her punch is met by one from the Destroyer. The force of the punches meeting dents the metal in the Destroyer's hand a bit, but also knocks Kara flying back into a boulder.

Kara struggles back to her feet. However, before she can re-engage, the Destroyer releases another blast at her, knocking her clean through the boulder. The Destroyer takes several steps towards Kara. After several moments of quiet, as it's about to turn to find a new target, Kara flies back through the boulder, punching the Destroyer and knocking it back into a boulder. She then breathes on it, trying to freeze it, but the Destroyer easily breaks free. It stands, unleashing another energy blast, which Kara counters with her heat vision on full power. The two keep up their attack, both trying to overpower the other. Kara begins to feel a little scared as her heat vision is slowly pushed back by the Destroyer's blast.

* * *

Thor grunts in pain as Hela slashes a conjured sword across his stomach, barely cutting through his armor and slightly wounding him. Thor responds by swinging Stormbreaker so that the flat side of it hits Hela in the chest, knocking her flying back, landing next to the Time Stone.

Thor stalks towards his sister. However, to his horror, as she regains her feet, she grabs the Time Stone. Hela looks right at Thor, a smirk on her face, as she raises her other hand. A green circle forms in front of it, and she begins to turn it.

"You may have gained a powerful weapon, brother. But how would you feel being on the end of your former weapon?" Hela says.

The implication hits Thor, and he stares at her in shock. A moment later, a bubble of energy forms in front of her. A moment later, Mjolnir appears within the bubble, completely intact. When the bubble bursts, Mjolnir falls to the ground.

Hela laughs. "This is it, brother. I will enjoy killing you with your own hammer," she says. She continues to laugh as she reaches down, grabs Mjolnir's handle, and pulls up.

And gets nothing.

Hela stops laughing, and looks down at Mjolnir. Again, she tries to pick it up, but the hammer remains stubbornly stuck on the ground.

Thor begins to smile, then to laugh. "Sister, it seems you are not worthy," he says. He then summons a lightning bolt with Stormbreaker and sends it Hela, knocking her back into a boulder. He hurries forward, then stops beside Mjolnir. He reaches down and picks up the hammer, smiling as he feels power rush through him.

He turns back to face Hela. "Time to end this," he says. Using both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, he summons a massive lightning bolt and sends it right at Hela. The lightning bolt batters her back into the boulder. Thor takes to the air, flying right at her and throwing Mjolnir as he goes. The hammer strikes her right in the chest, knocking her clean through the boulder as she tries to regain her feet. Thor flies over the boulder and comes down right at her, swinging down Stormbreaker at her. At the last second, Hela conjures a sword to block the axe.

The two struggle against each other. Then, Thor summons Mjolnir and swings it at her wrist, breaking it. A moment later and with a swing of Stormbreaker, Thor cuts off Hela's hand.

Hela cries out in pain and anger. She conjures a spear with her a free hand and stabs at Thor's heart, but Thor ducks aside and cuts off her other hand. Before Hela can even react, Thor swings Mjolnir and hits her in the chest, knocking her flying through the air. Before she can even hit the ground, Thor flies after her, and with a swing of Stormbreaker, beheads Hela. Not taking any chances, he swings Stormbreaker at her midsection and cuts her body in half. Now in three pieces, Hela's body falls back to the ground

Thor hovers over the remains of his sister, glaring down at her. "Hopefully now, Asgard can rest," he mutters.

* * *

Diana scowls as she jumps over a surge of energy tendrils summoned by Ilan. Ilan is almost immediately forced onto the defensive as Bobby sends a flurry of icicles at him.

Diana slams her cuffs together, releasing a shockwave that sends Ilan flying back into a boulder. Before Ilan can even react, Bobby soars in on an ice bridge and shoots blasts of ice, freezing his hands to the rock.

Ilan cries out in pain from having his hands frozen. Diana seizes the chance and launches herself towards Ilan. Before the fallen sorcerer can do anything, Diana drivers her sword right through his heart. He gasps a bit, then slumps dead. Diana pulls her sword back out, and his body crumples to the ground.

Bobby comes up next to Diana, looking down at Ilan's corpse. He then looks at Diana and says, "Nice work."

"You as well, Iceman," she responds.

* * *

Bruce growls as he stabs his stolen knife at Savage's neck. Savage deflects it with ease. Zoe strikes at Savage's head with one of her batons, but Savage ducks aside, while moving Bruce into the path of the baton, causing Zoe to accidently hit Bruce in the head, knocking him down. Savage then slashes his knife at Zoe, cutting her arm again, then kicking her back.

Zoe groans in pain as Savage stalks up to her. "Time to die," Savage says smugly. He then raises his knife. But, as he stabs it down, Bruce appears next to him and grabs his wrist, stopping it. He then gets Savage in a wristlock and throws the warlord over his shoulder.

Bruce pins Savage to the ground and begins punching his face repeatedly. After enough blows, Savage loses consciousness. Seeing this, Bruce glances up, and sees Diana running towards him.

"Diana!" he shouts. Understanding, she raises her sword as she runs forward. At the last moment, Bruce jumps off Savage and leaps back. A second later, Diana brings her sword down on Savage's throat, beheading him.

The two stand there, staring down at him. "Now the moment of truth," Bruce mutters. Diana nods.

They keep watching Savage's body, waiting for signs of life. Finally, after seeing not even a flicker of movement, they breathe a sigh of relief. "Well. Looks like one thing Thanos didn't give him back was his immortality," Bruce says.

"Thank goodness for that," Diana says.

Bruce looks over at Diana and smirks. "Just like old times, huh?" he says.

Diana smiles back at him. "Yes. Just like old times," she says.

* * *

Kara grunts a bit as she is thrown into a boulder again. She quickly takes to the air, avoiding another blast from the Destroyer.

"Geez. How am I supposed to beat this thing?" she mutters. Despite throwing some extremely strong punches, she's hardly even been able to dent the Destroyer's armor, and her heat vision has proved to be less powerful than the Destroyer's blasts.

Suddenly, a thought comes to her head. "Wait. What if I don't need to beat it? Maybe I just need to take him out of the equation," she mutters.

The Destroyer unleashes another blast at her. She ducks aside, then flies down and wraps her arms around the Destroyer, then flies up into the sky. The Destroyer tries to get free, but Kara refuses to let go.

Suddenly, the Destroyer begins turning itself around, reversing every part of its body, and turning it head right towards Kara. It releases a blast from its face, but Kara ducks under the blast, shifting her grip so she's lower on the Destroyer's body, just out of range of its blasts.

The Destroyer attempts to punch her several times, managing to land a few hits, but Kara refuses to let go. Finally, as she gets into the upper edges of the atmosphere, she summons every bit of her strength and throws the Destroyer. The Destroyer breaks through the edge of Maveth's atmosphere and goes sailing off into space.

Kara watches for a moment as the Destroyer disappears from view, then turns and soars back down towards the ground. Reaching the ground, she sees the rest of the team waiting for her.

"You got rid of the Destroyer?" Thor asks.

"Yes. I flew up as high as I could, then threw it into space," Kara says. Thor nods in response.

"Well. That was quite the fight," Bobby says.

"Yes. It was. But we won," Bruce says.

The team is quiet for a moment before Kara asks, "Where's the Stone?"

Diana opens her free hand, revealing the Time Stone sitting in her palm. "Right here," she says.

Kara smiles. "Alright. Mission accomplished. Let's get back to Earth," she says. She then looks at Thor and says, "Thor. You want to do the honors?"

Thor smiles and nods. He then raises Stormbreaker and summons the Bifrost. The Bifrost streaks down, hits the ground around them, and a second later, the strike team disappears, on its way back to Earth.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked this one.**

**I hoped you like how I did the return of Mjolnir in this. Honestly, I had to bring Mjolnir back for the final battle, and I thought Hela using the Time Stone to restore it in order to fight Thor made the most sense.**

**Then, with Kara fighting the Destroyer. Given what the Destroyer is made of, and that it's of Asgardian make, I thought that it would be a fairly even match. Short of Thor doing a repeat of what he did in the first _Thor_ movie, I thought Kara throwing it into space made the most sense of how to defeat it.**

**So, the final Stone battle chapter will be up tomorrow. I think we all know what Stone is last. The battle for the Soul Stone is going to be an interesting one. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	23. Chapter 23- Fight for the Soul Stone

**Alright. Here we go. The final Stone battle chapter. Let's get to it. Also, just so you know, Red Skull will be in this, but not as a guard. He will be in the same role he played in _Infinity War_ and _Endgame_. But, obviously, Steve will have a bit of a reaction to seeing him. Because I'll be doing the whole interaction with Red Skull and getting the Stone, this chapter is going to be longer than the last five. Long enough I may even break it up into two chapters.**

* * *

Chapter 23- Fight for the Soul Stone

"There it is," Steve says as the _Benatar_ approaches Vormir.

"This place doesn't look very inviting," Scott says.

Steve just nods as he pilots the _Benatar_ down towards the planet's surface. The ship streaks low over the ground as the team scans area.

"There! Up ahead!" Jenna calls out, pointing to a massive rock formation up ahead.

"And the Stone's reading is coming from there," Steve points out. He circles back and lands the _Benatar_ about a mile and a half away from the spot.

The team disembarks from the _Benatar_, and forms a small huddle.

"Alright. We have no idea how this is going to go. We have no idea who could be guarding this Stone. We need to be careful," Thane says in warning.

Everyone nods, then Steve says, "Let's go, team." He turns and starts heading towards the rock formation up ahead, the team following him closely.

As they near the massive rock formation, Caitlin says, "This is too easy. Why haven't we seen the guards yet?"

"Don't jinx it," John says.

Suddenly, something streaks by them at high speed. It flies around them a few times before halting before them, revealing it to be a man, wearing some kind of black suit, floating a few feet off the ground.

Thane narrows his eyes. "A Kryptonian," he says in a fierce voice.

"Really?" John asks.

The man laughs. "Yes. I am Zod. And you will fall before me," he says.

"Great. A Kryptonian. Who else do we have to deal with?" Scott asks rhetorically.

No sooner does he get the words out of his mouth than a man wearing a black and yellow metal suit, with what looks like metal tentacles coming out of his back.

"Cross," Scott says in shock.

"Good to see you again, Scott. Now I get another chance to kill you," Cross says mockingly.

Scott seems stunned at the appearance of his old enemy. Then, two more figures appear, walking towards the strike team over the rolling landscape. As they come into view, one of them draws everyone's attention.

"Caitlin? What's going on here?" Steve asks in surprise.

"That's Killer Frost. My evil doppelganger from Earth-2," Caitlin says.

Everyone is quiet for a moment before Jenna asks, "Who's the creepy guy in the cloak with the sword?"

John recognizes them from old pictures from Oliver's old files. "He's called Ra's al Ghul. The former head of the League of Assassins. Oliver killed him years ago. He's one of the deadliest men ever to walk the planet," he explains.

Ra's looks John over. "You wear the uniform of Oliver Queen. I look forward to seeing if you have his skill," he says.

"What's the plan here?" Scott asks.

Thane is the one to speak up. "Captain, you and John take Ra's al Ghul. Jenna, you and Scott handle Cross. Caitlin, you handle Killer Frost. I'll handle Zod," he says.

"Are you sure, Thane?" Steve asks, concerned about Thane fighting a Kryptonian on his own.

"Don't worry, Captain. I can handle Zod," Thane says. And with that, he starts running right at Zod. Zod smirks as he flies at Thane, but Thane raises his left hand, releasing bolts of black energy that strike Zod and knock him flying back. To Zod's shock, he feels slightly weakened. He looks up just in time to see Thane almost upon him. Before he can react, Thane leaps up and kicks Zod to the ground. He then fires another bolt of black energy from his left hand, but Zod manages to dodge it. He fires his heat vision, but Thane raises his right hand and conjures an amber colored energy shield in front of him, blocking the beams.

Everyone stares at the sight for a moment before Steve says, "Well. I guess Thane can handle a Kryptonian." He pauses for a second before hefting his shield and saying, "Let's go." And he rushes towards Ra's al Ghul. John follows him close behind, while Jenna and Scott race towards Scott, and Caitlin turns to Killer Frost and charges her doppelganger.

Steve charges at Ra's, shield at the ready. Ra's smiles a little, ready for the challenge. As Steve gets closer, he throws his shield at Ra's. To his surprise, Ra's grabs the shield out of the air and throws it right back. Steve manages to catch it and reposition it on his arm in one quick movement, then jumps into the air, trying to bring his shield down on Ra's. Ra's ducks aside, avoiding the shield, and slashes his sword at Steve, managing to cut Steve on his side.

Steve groans a bit from the pain, but turns to face Ra's. Ra's strikes at Steve with his sword, but Steve blocks the sword with his shield. Steve then tries to punch Ra's with his free hand, but Ra's deflects the blow. He then tries tripping Steve, but Steve jumps and flips over Ra's' head. As he does, John, who has almost reached Ra's, fires an arrow. Ra's catches the arrow with ease and throws it aside. John then tries to strike Ra's with his bow, but Ra's easily blocks it with his sword. Steve then attack Ra's with his shield, and Ra's finds himself fighting against two enemies simultaneously. However, to Steve and John's surprise, Ra's is easily able to keep up with them, blocking their blows with sword or even just his arms.

Meanwhile, Scott and Jenna race at Cross. Cross laughs to himself as he takes to the air, and fires his energy beams at the two of them. Jenna raises her hand and conjures a psychic field to deflect then conjures a psychic knife and throws it at Cross, who shrinks to avoid it. Scott quickly shrinks as well, and the two rush each other, exchanging blows as Jenna tries to keep her eyes on the two of them psychic sword at the ready.

As this is beginning, Caitlin faces down Killer Frost. "Well, well, doppelganger of mine. Looks like we really are the same," Killer Frost says.

"We're not the same. I do good with my powers. I fight alongside my friends," Caitlin responds.

"Oh for goodness sake. You could be a god. And instead, you chose this path," Killer Frost asks sarcastically.

"Yes, I did. Now, get out of my way," Caitlin demands.

"I don't think so, Caity," Killer Frost says.

"Alright then," Caitlin responds before shooting a blast of ice at Killer Frost. Frost responds with a blast of her own, neither one managing to overpower the other. After a few moments, both of them stop and conjure ice daggers. The two then attack each other with the daggers, trying to use what hand to hand combat knowledge they do have to gain an advantage over the other.

* * *

Thane ducks under a heat vision blast from Zod. He pops back up and raises his right hand and fires a bolt of amber colored energy. It hits Zod in the leg, and to Zod's horror, he sees hardened amber starting to creep up his leg. He uses his heat vision to blast the amber apart, only for Thane to use his telekinesis to pick up a boulder and hurl it into Zod's face, knocking him back to the ground.

Zod gets back to his feet and looks towards Thane. He zooms right up to Thane and punches him, knocking him down. He goes to punch him again, only for Thane to grab his fist with his right hand, causing amber to start spreading rapidly across Zod's fist. Thane then gets his legs under him and kicks Zod into the air.

Zod reels back. He again uses his heat vision to blast part the spreading amber, then looks down at Thane, who has regained his feet. "Who are you?" Zod asks.

Thane smirks at Zod. "I am Thane," he says before unleashing another bolt of black energy that sends Zod reeling back, and again makes him feel slightly weaker. Thane smirks as he prepares to attack again, knowing it won't be much longer.

* * *

Steve grunts as Ra's sword cuts him along his cheek. He throws his shield at Ra's again, who deflects it with his sword. Ra's is then forced to duck as John shoots another arrow at him. John tries to strike Ra's with his bow, but Ra's blocks it with his sword.

"You are strong. But not as strong, nor as skilled as Oliver Queen," Ra's says. He looks at John for another moment, then says, "You do not not truly know what you are fighting for. If you do not, you will not win."

Then, Ra's is knocked back as he's hit with Steve's shield. Steve grabs his shield as it returns to him and runs at Ra's intending to bash him with his shield. Ra's rolls to the side and leaps back to his feet, stabbing at Steve. Steve barely manages to block the sword with the edge of his shield.

"I am impressed. You have strength that few men have. But that will not be enough to defeat me," Ra's says before swinging his sword at Steve again. Steve holds up his shield, and Ra's sword hits the shield with a clang that is heard across the battlefield.

* * *

Scott flies back as Cross punches him right in the chest.

"I'm gonna disintegrate you, Scott!" Cross bellows.

"You can try," Scott says, grabbing a rock and throwing it at Cross. Cross uses his energy blasts to destroy it, but it gives Scott the opportunity to run at Cross and punch him, knocking him back.

Cross growls and returns to normal size, unleashing his energy blasts again at Scott. Scott runs to try and avoid them. Cross is smirking when suddenly there's a flash of purple, and one his two blasts stops. Cross looks back and sees one of the tentacles has been severed. He looks up and sees Jenna, smirking at him.

"You'll pay for that!" he screams as he fires a blast from his remaining tentacle at Jenna, who quickly conjures a psychic shield to block it. Cross keeps the blast up, while slowly walking towards Jenna, forcing her to step back as the pressure put on her shield from the blast. That is, until Scott, still shrunken, leaps up and punches Cross again, knocking him back. Jenna smirks as she conjures her psychic sword and rushes at Cross.

* * *

Caitlin and Killer Frost grunt and cry as they slash and stab at each other with their ice daggers. With Caitlin having trained a bit in hand to hand to deal with Cicada, she has an advantage over Killer Frost. However, she's unable to land a serious blow against Killer Frost, and the blows that she does land heal rather quickly.

As the two cross their ice daggers, struggling against each other, Killer Frost smirks and says, "You'll have to do better than that, Caity."

"Done," Caitlin responds coldly. She then drops one of her ice daggers and fires a blast of icy energy at Killer Frost at point blank range, hitting her in the stomach and knocking her back. Caitlin stalks towards her, but Killer Frost shoots an icicle at her, hitting Caitlin in the shoulder.

Caitlin cries in pain from the icicle. She reaches up and grabs it, pulling it out of her shoulder. The wound rapidly begins to heal. Caitlin looks up at Killer Frost, glaring fiercely as Killer Frost regains her feet. Killer Frost smirks as she conjures another ice dagger, and rushes at Caitlin, who conjures her own ice dagger and waits for her.

* * *

Thane flies back into a boulder, groaning a bit from Zod's heat vision. Zod smirks and flies right at him, ready to pummel him through the boulder. But, to his surprise, Thane conjures an amber field around him, and Zod bounces right off of it and goes flying right through the air.

Thane leaps into the air ready to attack Zod. Zod, however, blows a stream of high pressure air at Thane, knocking him back to the ground. He flies down, ready to punch Thane again, but Thane rolls out of the way. He then fires another bolt of black energy from his left hand at Zod. Zod goes flying back into a boulder a few yards away, again feeling his energy drained by the bolt. As he hurries to get back to his feet, Thane walks up to him. He grabs Zod with his right hand and pins him to the boulder. Amber begins to spread over Zod's body.

Zod looks at Thane with a bit of fear. His eyes begin to glow as he prepares to unleash his heat vision. But, before he can, Thane draws a knife from his belt and drives it into Zod's chest and right into his heart. Zod feels the blade penetrate his skin, and looks down in shock. Thane smirks as he lets go of Zod, and at the same time pulls the knife out. The blade is not metal, but of a green mineral that is very familiar to Zod.

"I recently paid a visit to Krypton. Thought I would make myself a Kryptonite weapon as a precaution," Thane says. He then kicks Zod to the ground, and watches as Zod keeps gasping for a few moments before taking his last breath.

* * *

Jenna raises another psychic shield, blocking another blast from Cross. Scott then returns to his normal size, throwing several punches at Cross, knocking Cross a bit off balance. However, Cross punches Scott and knocks him back to the ground. Scott quickly shrinks out of view.

Jenna runs at Cross, psychic sword at the ready. However, Cross quickly shrinks to avoid the sword. However, Jenna can still manage to make out Cross, and swipes her sword at him. Cross dodges it, but turns his back to Scott in the process. Scott, taking the chance, throws a blue Pym Disk at him, causing Cross to grow back to normal size. But Cross can even react, Jenna uses her sword to cut off his remaining tentacle.

Cross cries out in anger and throws a punch at Jenna. Jenna dodges the punch, right before Scott flies out of nowhere and punches Cross in the face, breaking one of the glass eye covers. Before Cross can even react, Jenna drives her psychic sword through Cross' eye. She pulls it out a second later, and Cross drops dead.

Scott returns to normal size, and the two stare down at Cross' body for a moment. Then, Jenna looks at Scott and says, "You take Killer Frost. I'll take Ra's." Scott nods, and starts running towards Killer Frost, while Jenna runs towards Ra's.

* * *

Steve ducks under a slash from Ra's and throws a punch at him. Ra's deflects it with his arm before slashing at John. John tries to duck aside, but gets a cut along his leg.

As Ra's turns back to Steve, Jenna sprints up, her psychic sword at the ready. She slashes right at Ra's head, but Ra's ducks under the blow before kicking Jenna's feet out from under her. Jenna tumbles over the ground, her psychic sword dissipating.

Steve lunges to attack Ra's, but Ra's ducks under his blow and kicks Steve in the chest, knocking him back. He then moves to finish off Jenna. John reacts quickly, firing two arrows at Ra's. Ra's manages to catch the first, but the second hits him in the leg. Ra's' face twists from the pain, and he pauses for a split second. Just enough time to Jenna to conjure her psychic sword again and drive it through Ra's heart.

Ra's freezes, looking down at Jenna. Jenna then regains her feet and forces Ra's onto his back before pulling her psychic sword out. Ra's looks up at her, John, and Steve, and smiles a bit. "Well done," he says before he takes his final breath, leaving Jenna, John, and Steve looking down at Ra's corpse.

* * *

Caitlin stabs her ice dagger at Killer Frost's face. Killer Frost and swipes her dagger at Caitlin's arm, cutting across her wrist. Caitlin drops her ice dagger, clutching her wrist. It quickly heals though, and Caitlin ducks under another blow from Killer Frost before punching her in the face. As Killer Frost stumbles back, Scott, shrunk down, jumps out of nowhere and punches Killer Frost, knocking her to the ground.

Caitlin feels confused until Scott grows back to his normal size. He chuckles a bit and says, "You oughtta stay more alert."

Killer Frost suddenly whips around, shooting an icicle at Scott. Scott barely manages to shrink to avoid it. Killer Frost gets back on her feet, a murderous look on her face.

Suddenly, movement behind Killer Frost draws Caitlin's attention. She looks behin her doppelganger and sees Thane leaping over a small ridge. He releases a bolt of dark energy at Killer Frost which hits at her feet, knocking her flying back.

Killer Frost struggles to get back to her feet. However, before she can, Thane sprints up to her, grabs her by the throat with his left hand as she's trying to get back up, and pins her to the ground.

Caitlin and Scott are surprised at Thane's sudden appearance. They are even more shocked as they see lines of black starting to run across Killer Frost's skin, as if something black is seeping through her blood vessels, all spreading from her neck.

Thane stares down into Killer Frost's face. "Your time in this life has long been over. I pity the fact you have been enslaved by my father. But this does not change what I must do," he says. Then, his left hand begins to glow more, and the black begins to spread across Killer Frost's skin. Killer Frost gasps for air, but before long, she takes one last gasp, then falls silent, her skin now looking very black instead of its usual pale.

Caitlin and Scott stare at Thane in shock. After a few moments, Thane stands up and turns to Caitlin. "I hope you didn't think that was personal," he says.

Caitlin shakes her head, both personalities in her mind a little disturbed and shocked by what Thane just did, and the power he holds.

Thane nods once, then looks around. John, Jenna, and Steve are standing a few yards away, having seen what just happened. Thane then points towards the rocky formation that's now not too far away and says, "The Soul Stone is up there. Let's go."

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**So, I have decided to split this into two chapters. Next chapter will be their encounter with the Red Skull, and actually getting the Soul Stone. It'll be much shorter than this one, but I didn't want this to be a 5,000 or so word chapter.**

**I hope you enjoyed my choice of villains. I thought it would be interesting to have Caitlin fight Killer Frost. And even though I used Caitlin to designate Earth-1 Caitlin, she was in her Killer Frost persona during the whole fight. Also, regarding Zod, I wanted to have a Kryptonian to fight Thane. I considered Reign, but she technically was a personality manifested within a human, and since Zod hasn't appeared much in _Supergirl_, I figured "Why the heck not?"**

**As for why Thane could stand against Zod…I mean, come on. He's Thanos' biological son. He inherited some of his father's strength. As for his powers, he's gotten even more potent at controlling them. In the comics, he hasn't been shown to be able to fire energy from his hands that has similar effects as his powers, but in this universe, his powers have been enhanced. Plus, as a fanfiction author, I have that control, so why not?**

**Alright. Next chapter will be up tomorrow, and there will be a brief break of a few days after that before the next chapter. I hope you're excited for this. Please leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	24. Chapter 24- Taking the Soul Stone

**Alright, everybody. Here we go. This chapter will be the Vormir strike team actually taking the Soul Stone. Let's get to it. Also, this will actually be not only wrapping up the Vormir quest, but include what was originally supposed to be the next chapter. I decided to merge them, since the next chapter ended up being too short.**

**Coolrod: **Dude, pestering me like this when I've already given you an answer about including Smallville just makes me want to do it less.

**mmat:** Everyone that got dusted won't show up immediately. It'll be like in _Endgame_.

**Aragorn II Elessar: **Well, Ra's has much more training than Steve. I'm not sure that Steve could beat Ra's that fast.

**Megagalvatron12: **He's played by the guy who plays him on Supergirl. Zod has made one or two appearances, briefly and usually in hallucinations, in the show.

* * *

Chapter 24- Taking the Soul Stone

The strike team slowly makes their way up the path leading to the top of the rock formation. It's rather cold, with some snow swirling around them.

"I bet the others didn't have to climb a mountain," Scott complains.

"Tough it out," Thane replies.

The team steps at a ledge that over looks the plain they just walked across. They take a moment to look down on the plain, and at the bodies of the enemies they just vanquished.

Everyone's quiet for a moment. Then, Thane says, "Come on. We have to find the Stone."

"Welcome."

The strike team reacts instantly. They all whip around to face the voice. Thane's hands begin to glow brighter. Steve holds his shield at the ready. Scott's helmet snaps into position, ready to either grow or shrink. Caitlin turns back into Killer Frost. John draws an arrow and fits it to his bow. And Jenna conjures her psychic sword.

Floating before them is a hooded figure wearing some tattered, black robe. "Steven. Son of Sarah. Caitlin. Daughter of Thomas. John. Son of Lyla. Jenna. Daughter of Joseph. Scott. Son of Martha. Thane. Son of Thanos," the figure says in an echoing voice.

The team exchange glances, wondering who this being is, and how he knows their names and parents. They take a few cautionary steps towards the shadowy figure, and Thane demands, "Who are you?"

"Consider me a guide…to you…and to all who seek the Soul Stone," the figure responds.

"Good. Tell us where it is, and we'll be on our way," Jenna says.

The figure something in a language they don't understand, then steps forward as he says, "If only it were that easy."

Steve's eyes go as wide as saucers. The red skin and distorted facial features are something he would never forget.

"Schmidt! What are you doing here?!" he exclaims, stumbling back a step. Everyone looks at him, a little confused at this sudden reaction.

The figure, or Schmidt, simply looks back at Steve. "Ah. Captain. You have come for the Stone," he says simply.

Steve continues to stare in shock at Schmidt, realizing that the Tesseract must have transported Schmidt here instead of killing him like he originally thought. Before he can say anything, Schmidt turns his back to them. "Come," he says.

Everyone looks at Steve. "Who is Schmidt?" Caitlin asks.

"My old enemy. The former leader of HYDRA. I thought he died in our last battle when he touched the Tesseract. It must have transported him here instead, and somehow he ended up like this," Steve says, still in shock.

Everyone eyes Schmidt as he continues further up towards the summit. "Do we follow him?" Scott asks.

Steve is quiet for a moment. "We have no choice. But, even if Schmidt does try something, there's six of us and only one of him. The moment you see him doing anything the tiniest bit suspicious, take him out," he says, though he still feels a little hesitant. He walks after Schmidt, shield at the ready, the rest of the team carefully following him, all on edge and ready for action at any moment.

The team follows Schmidt up to the summit. Schmidt leads them towards the edge, where two pillars overlook the cliff. He turns to face the strike team and says, "What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear."

The team heads up to the edge, looking over the edge at the ground below. "Is the Stone down there?" Caitlin asks to nobody in particular.

Schmidt responds, "For most of you. But for one of you…In order to take the Stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul for a soul."

Everyone is quiet, looking first at Schmidt, then around at each other. They gather in a small huddle beside one of the pillars, as Schmidt waits beside the other one, completely quiet. By this point, the team feels Schmidt is not going to be much of a threat. They're more concerned with what Schmidt just said.

"I don't believe him. Schmidt is smart. Even in this state, he's not gonna just give up his old ways. It's not in his nature. He may just be trying to get one of us to kill ourselves," Steve says, not wanting to think this sacrifice is necessary.

"I don't think so," Thane pipes up, drawing everyone's attention. He looks at them and says, "My father came here with my sister Gamora. He left here with the Stone, and without Gamora. That's not a coincidence."

Everyone is quiet for a moment. Then, Caitlin says, "If we don't get that Stone, everyone will stay dead."

There's another moment of quiet. Then, Scott asks, "So, I guess the questions is now, 'Who's gonna be the one to sacrifice themselves for the Stone?'"

The team is quiet again for a moment. Then, John says, "I'll jump."

Everyone looks at him in surprise. John looks at them all and says, "For decades I've hoped against hope that one day my parents might return. I came back here to bring everybody back, including my parents. If that costs my life…I'm fine with that."

"No, John. No. Let me do it," Jenna says, a little desperately.

John turns to her, smiling a bit. "Jenna, no. I won't let you do that," he says.

"And I can't let you do it!" Jenna protests.

John steps forward and takes Jenna's head in his hands. "Jenna. Ever since I met you, I thought you were the most amazing, beautiful woman I've ever met. And now…Jenna, I love you," he says. He then leans in and kisses Jenna.

The rest of the team watch as the two kiss. Then, John pulls back rapidly, spins Jenna around, and shoves her towards Steve. "Goodbye, Jenna," he says before turning and running towards the cliff.

"John! No!" Jenna cries out. But it's too late. The team watches as John reaches the cliff and leaps over the edge, plunging out of view.

The team rushes to the edge of the cliff. Looking down, they can see John's body, lying on a massive stone circle in a pool of his own blood.

Wind begins to pick up. A sound overhead draws their attention. Looking up, the whole team sees what looks like a vortex forming in the clouds. Suddenly, a shockwave and flash of light spread out from the vortex, and the team blacks out.

* * *

Steve groans a bit as he feels consciousness beginning to return to him. Opening his eyes, he raises his head, then sits up. He sees that he's lying a pool of water a short distance away from the rock formation. The rest of the team is lying around him, and are beginning to stir.

Thane is the first to wake up. He sits up and looks around. "Did it work?" he asks.

"I don't know," Steve responds.

Caitlin sits up a few moments later, followed almost immediately by Scott. As they look around, Caitlin asks, "Did we get the Stone?"

A moment after that, Jenna stirs and slowly sits up. She looks around at the team, who are all looking at her. Jenna looks back at them, then slowly looks down at her hand, which is clenched. Slowly, she opens it, revealing the Soul Stone, sitting in her palm.

Everyone sits there, staring at the Stone. Then, Jenna closes her fist around the Stone. She plunges her fist into the water and screams loudly in anger and emotional pain. The rest of the team just sits there for a moment, not sure how to react.

Finally, Caitlin stands up and walks up to Jenna. She kneels down beside Jenna, resting her hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Jenna. John wouldn't want you to just sit here and mourn him. He would want you to get up, get the Stone back to Earth so we can bring everyone back, and move on with your life," Caitlin says.

Jenna sits there for a moment before she says, "We have to make it worth it. We have to make it so John didn't give his life for nothing."

She shoots to her feet, a look of determination on her face. "Let's get back to Earth," she says with determination. The whole team nods, and begins walking back towards the waiting _Benatar_.

* * *

Thanos smiles a bit to himself as he takes a drink. Ever since he banished the Stones across the universe, his life on his new home planet has been a relatively peaceful one.

Suddenly, in the corner, a hologram activates, revealing the face of Ebony Maw.

"Maw. What is it?" Thanos asks.

"My liege. The Avengers. They have found the Stones, and begun taking them," Maw responds.

Thanos sits there for a moment, shocked, then shoots to his feet. "What?!" he demands.

"The senors we left on the planets show that several of the Stones have already been taken. But more than that. A recording device we left on Vormir caught an image of the team that took the Stone just minutes ago. Thane was with them," Maw responds.

Thanos stands there for a few moments, stunned that not only did the Avenegrs find the Stones, but that Thane is helping them, then his face hardens. "Prepare the fleet. Gather all armies you can. We must set off for Earth immediately. There is no time to waste," he orders.

"As you wish, sire," Maw responds before the hologram cuts off.

Thanos stares off into the distance. "Well, my son. This treason will not be overlooked. I will see that your plan to stop me is foiled. You will watch the Avengers and all hope die before you. And then…I will kill you myself," he says darkly, looking forward to a final confrontation with his son.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I actually originally planned for there to be a whole separate chapter involving Thanos learning about how the Avengers had found the Stones and that Thane was working with them. But, I quickly realized that was stupid, and I could condense it into an addition to this chapter just a few hundred words long.**

**I hope I did the interaction with Schmidt alright. Given the curse on him, I doubt Schmidt would've done much more than what he did in this chapter. And I don't think Steve would just attack on sight. After it became clear Schmidt knew something about the Stone, he would be willing to follow Schmidt just long enough to get the Stone.**

**Now, for those wondering, Schmidt might not be done here. He may yet appear at some point in the future.**

**Now, as for why John was the one to sacrifice himself. I couldn't bring myself to sacrifice either Steve or Caitlin, I'm not sure if Scott is close enough to any of them to fulfill the requirement, and I have a specific plan for Thane in the rest of the story. So, it was between John and Jenna, and I decided to have it be John.**

**Now, obviously, Carol has not managed to locate Thanos yet. And she won't until Thanos comes to Earth. This is my way of keeping her away from the start of the Battle. But, she will be helping in the final battle.**

**So, we have reached the end of the Quest for the Stones. The next two chapters will deal with the aftermath, the construction of the Gauntlet, and the Snap to bring everyone back. Chapter 27 will begin with the start of the attack on the Facility. I hope you're excited.**

**Next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	25. Chapter 25- Back with the Stones

**Alright, guys. Back with Chapter 25.**

**This is gonna be a simple chapter. I hope you still like it, though.**

* * *

Chapter 25- Back with the Stones

It's quiet over the grounds of the Avengers Facility. By now, it's been several hours since the teams left.

Suddenly, a breach opens on the grounds of the Facility. A moment later, Barry, Tony, Cisco, Clint, and Laurel walk through the breach. They look around for a moment before Barry says, "Well. We're back."

Before any of them can respond, another breach opens. They all look towards it. A moment later, Stephen walks out, followed closely by Cassie, Logan, Roy, Rocket, and Danai.

"Stephen!" Barry calls to his son. Stephen looks at his dad and smiles.

"Hey, dad. We got the Stone," he says. Rocket holds up the device, showing the Reality Stone swirling inside it.

"Good job," Clint says.

"Where's everyone else?" Stephen asks.

"Don't know. We just got back," Barry responds.

Right then, a third breach opens. After a second, Oliver walks out, with Natasha, Nora, Slade, and Nebula following behind him. Nora races over to her father and gives him a hug, and Barry smiles as he hugs his daughter back. He then looks back at her team.

"Oliver! You did it?" Barry calls to his friend.

"Barry. You bet. You guys got it?" Oliver asks. Tony responds by holding up the Space Stone.

"Perfect. And you guys?" Oliver asks Stephen teams. Rocket again holds out the device containing the Stone.

"Alright. Well, we've got at least half of them," Oliver points out.

A fourth breach opens a few yards away. After a moment, Banner walks out, followed by Azari, Morgan, Pietro, and Rhodey.

"Hey, guys. We got the Stone!" Banner says excitedly.

"Perfect. Well, that's four we've got," Oliver says.

A crackling sound overhead draws their attention. They all look up and see the sky swirling overhead. Then, a beam of energy shoots down and hits the ground abut 10 yards away. When the energy disperses, it reveals Thor, Bobby, Bruce, Zoe, Diana, and Kara.

"Friends! We have the Time Stone!" Thor declares triumphantly.

"Perfect! Now we're just waiting on Steve's team," Oliver responds.

The teams stand around, waiting for a few minutes, hoping that Steve's team managed to get the Soul Stone. Then, in his suit, Tony hears FRIDAY say, "Boss, something just entered the upper atmosphere."

"Guys, I think they're coming," Tony announces to the group, who eagerly watch the skies, waiting for the Benatar to appear.

It doesn't take long before the Benatar dives out of the clouds and lands about 40 yards away. The teams all hurry towards the ship.

As they near the Benatar, the ramp lowers. A second later, Steve comes walking down, followed closely by Scott. Thane is next, followed lastly by Caitlin and Jenna, with Caitlin having one arm wrapped around Jenna.

After a second, they realize one person is missing. "Guys. Where's John?" Oliver asks.

Steve looks at Oliver for a moment. "He's gone," he says.

Everyone is surprised. All of them succeeded without casualties. Why did Steve's team not have that same success?

"Why?" Oliver manages to ask.

"There was a test. In order to take the Stone, you had to lose someone you loved. John…he sacrificed himself so we could obtain the Stone," Steve responds.

Everyone's quiet. After a second, Caitlin leads Jenna away. Barry stares after her for a moment before turning back to Steve. "What's wrong with Jenna?" he asks.

Steve turns his head to look at Jenna, then back at Barry. "There was…something going on between her and John. He kissed her right before he jumped," he says.

Everyone's quiet for a few moments. Then, Oliver says, "Well, then we have to make this work. We have to make sure that John didn't die for nothing."

He looks at Steve and says, "Let's get the Stones inside." He then looks at Tony and Banner and says, "You two get to the lab. Harry and Dr. McGee are gonna need your help finishing the Gauntlet." Tony and Banner both nod, and the entire team makes their way into the Facility.

* * *

Oliver sighs as he sits down on a couch in one of the living rooms. After he had visited the lab, where Dr. McGee and Harry had almost finished the Gauntlet, he had taken some time for himself.

As he sits there he thinks about the times he was able to talk to and get to know John, and how much John reminded him of Diggle.

"Are you alright?"

Oliver looks up right as Natasha sits down next to him. He nods and says, "Yeah. It's just…hearing JJ died…it just reminds me that his parents are gone."

Natasha takes his hand and says, "It's okay. We're not gonna let his sacrifice be in vain. We're gonna bring everybody back."

Oliver nods, then says, "Once they're all back, I'm gonna find Diggle and Lyla. And I'm gonna make sure they know that we were able to bring them back thanks to JJ." Natasha smiles and nods, and the two just sit there, hand in hand, quiet.

* * *

Steve stares out of the window. After the Decimation, he swore to himself that he would sacrifice himself rather than let anyone under his command die. And now, with the loss of John, he feels a bit like he broke his promise.

"How are you feeling?"

Steve turns and sees Caitlin walking up behind him.

"I'm alright. How's Jenna?" he asks.

"She's alright. Nora's with her now. I felt she'd be able to help Jenna better," Caitlin responds.

He nods and looks back out the window. Caitlin stands next to him and the two stare out of the window for a minute. Finally, she asks, "Are you really okay?"

Steve is quiet for a moment, then says, "After the Decimation, and we lost everybody, I swore I would let myself die before watching anyone under my command die. I feel like I failed John."

"Steve…you can't blame yourself. If John is truly like his father, we weren't gonna stop him. He clearly thought we and everyone who died were worth the sacrifice. Let's allow him and his decision the respect they deserve," Caitlin responds.

Steve smiles a little. Caitlin, a little confused, asks, "What?"

"Nothing. You just…you remind me of someone I used to know," Steve says.

* * *

Barry looks at his son, who's looking down at the floor from his spot in swivel chair. While Nora had taken to comforting Jenna, Stephen had wandered off. Barry had found him, and for the past few minutes, they've just been sitting there.

Finally, Barry speaks up. "What's on your mind, Stephen?" he asks.

Stephen looks up at him. "John. He was our oldest teammate. He worked with Nora and I for a few years before we came back in time. He was one of my best friends. And now…I just don't know what to think," he says. He's not showing any sign of tearing up, but it's clear to Barry how much the loss of John is affecting his son.

Barry sighs a bit. He walks up and crouches down a tiny bit, resting a hand on Stephen's shoulder. "I know, Stephen. Trust me, loss like this never gets easier. I lost both my parents. And in the Decimation, I lost your mom and lots of friends. It never gets easier to deal with this loss. But, if I've learned anything in the last year, it's that when you go through loss, you just have to keep pushing forward. John wouldn't want you to just sit here and mourn for him. He would want you to keep going," Barry says.

Stephen looks up into his dad's eyes. Then, he nods and says, "I know, Dad. Doesn't mean it's not gonna be hard."

Barry just nods in response. And the father and son just sit there in silence.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope this wasn't too bad.**

**This was mainly meant to show the teams' return to Earth. I also wanted to set up a potential Steve/Caitlin romance, a shipping I've been a fan of since Stand With Ward and Queen tried it out in his Two Earths series. This romance, if I do go forward with it, will take a while to really begin.**

**Also, for those wondering, Thor's reunion with Loki will take place next chapter.**

**Alright. Next chapter will be up within a few days. I have two papers due this week, so I may not be able to write the next chapter too quickly. Until the chapter is up, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	26. Chapter 26- The Snap

**Alright, back with another chapter. I have had a lot going on this week, and hardly felt motivated to write. But, I didn't want to keep you all waiting. Let's get to it.**

* * *

Chapter 26- The Snap

Thor stands over his brother in the med bay. He had been surprised to hear that Loki had been resurrected as a guard, and also that Clint had spared his life.

As Thor watches him, Loki begins to stir. Slowly, his eyes open.

"Thor," he mutters.

"Loki. How do you feel?" Thor asks.

"Not my best, but I'll be feeling better soon," Loki responds.

"We both know that wasn't what I meant," Thor responds.

Loki sighs as he pushes himself up into a sitting position before looking to Thor. "When I tried to invade Earth, one of Thanos' servants told me there would be nowhere he couldn't find me, and he'd make me long for something sweet as pain. He was right. I felt tormented by my state. I had no choice but to try and protect the Stone. No matter how much I wished otherwise, I had no choice but to remain there, protecting the Stone, and knowing this would be my fate for eternity," he says.

Thor nods as he sits down beside Loki. The two stare at the wall for several quiet moments before Thor puts his hand on Loki's shoulder and says, "I'm glad that you're alive, Loki. I feel saddened knowing what you went through, but I am glad you are alive. Perhaps now, we can have another chance to truly be brothers."

Loki nods a bit, still staring ahead. Then, Thor smirks, and says, "And, after we bring everybody back, you can help us find Thanos and get your revenge."

Loki starts to smirk as he looks at Thor. "I like the sound of that," he says.

* * *

(Meanwhile, Space)

"Sire, we are nearing Earth," Ebony Maw says. From his throne on the Sanctuary II, Thanos nods.

"When we reach the planet, dispatch other ships to attack across the planet. We will try and draw their attention away from the Avengers. This ship will attack the Avengers directly," Thanos says.

"Yes, sire," Ebony Maw says before going to communicate the orders to the rest of Thanos' forces.

Thanos smirks. It won't be long now.

* * *

(Some time later)

Tony stands up, pulling his tool away from the Gauntlet. "Alright, guys. I think we've finished it," he says. Behind him, Banner, Cisco, Harry, Dr. McGee, and Rocket are all staring at the Gauntlet, all looking rather proud of themselves.

Tony takes one last look over the Gauntlet, then turns to Stephen. "Alright, Stephen. Do your thing," he says.

Stephen nods, then looks at the Infinity Stones, resting on a table nearby. His eyes begin to glow, and he raises his hands. Slowly, as he moves his hands through the air, six of the Stones lift off the table, the Speed Stone remaining on the table. Stephen carefully directs them through the air, towards the Gauntlet. As the Stones near, six slots open up on the Gauntlet to hold them. Stephen directs the Stones into the slots, which close around the Stones.

Everyone stares at the Gauntlet for a moment, waiting to see if something will happen. Then, Rocket shouts, "Boom!" Everyone jumps and glares at Rocket, chuckling to himself.

"I believe the Gauntlet is done. If you don't mind, I would like to return home," Dr. McGee says.

"Sure thing, Dr. McGee," Cisco says. He opens a breach back to Earth-1.

"Good luck," Dr. McGee says before she walks through the breach, which closes a second later.

* * *

(20 minutes later)

In the main conference room, the team has gathered. Rocket, Tony, and Cisco are making some final checks on the Gauntlet, while the rest of the team, all in their uniforms, watch. The Speed Stone is now resting on a table in the corner. Loki has joined the team in the conference room. Not everybody is very enthusiastic about this, but Thor has put down their concerns. For the time being.

After a few more moments, Rocket looks up and says, "Alright. The glove's ready. The question is, 'Who's gonna snap their freakin fingers'?"

The room is quiet for a moment before Nora speaks up, "Let me or Stephen do it."

"Nora, honey, no," Barry says quickly.

"Dad, we're speedsters. We have the Speed Force in us. It can help us against the effects of the Gauntlet," Nora says.

"You don't know that," Tony responds.

"Please. I've been waiting for this day for decades. Please, just let me do it," Nora asks.

"No, Nora Allen. I must do it," Thor says.

Everyone looks at Thor. "Are you sure about this, Thor?" Steve asks.

"I am Asgardian. The God of Thunder. I can withstand much more than any of you. I can survive the effects of the Stones," Thor says. He pauses for a moment, then says, "I must be the one to do it. I failed to kill Thanos in Wakanda. Now, I must be the one to bring everybody back."

Everyone is quiet for a moment. Then, Tony says, "Alright, Point Break." He picks up the Gauntlet and carries it to Thor, handing it to him gently. Taking a step back, he says, "Remember. Everybody Thanos snapped away, you're just bringing them back to here. Now. Nobody else, and don't change anything from the last year." Thor just nods in response.

Around the room everyone prepares, knowing the use of the Stones could have some effect within the room. Tony activates his suit, conjuring a shield around everybody he can, then says, "FRIDAY, do me a favor and activate Barn Door protocol."

"Yes, boss," FRIDAY responds. Doors begin to close all around them, shutting the room off from the rest of the Facility.

Thor looks down at the Gauntlet, takes a deep breath, then fits his hand into the Gauntlet. The Gauntlet adjusts slightly to better fit his hand. And as it does, Thor feels the power of the six Stones flood through his body.

Thor gasps from the power flooding through him. It is so powerful he collapses to one knee, groaning from the pain caused by the power rush.

"Thor, are you okay?" Steve asks.

"Brother?" Loki asks, concerned.

"I'm okay," Thor gasps.

Everybody watches as Thor struggles for a few more moments, then slowly lifts his hand up. Thor bellows for a second, then manages to snap his fingers.

_Thor looks around him. He's surrounded by what looks like orange skies, and what appears to be a flat, watery surface, extending as far as the eye can see._

_"Son." Thor turns, and to his surprise, sees his mother standing a few feet away._

_"Mother?" Thor asks. Frigga just smiles and nods._

_Thor stares at his mother for a moment, then hurries forward and embraces her. A few tears fall from his eyes as he embraces his mother._

_"I've missed you, mom. And…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Thor says._

_"Death comes for us all, son. For some, it just comes sooner than we expect," Frigga says._

_Thor pulls back and looks at his mother. "I…I failed, Mother. I failed to stop Thanos, and to protect my people," he says._

_"Yes, you did fail. And that makes you like everyone is. Failure is the greatest teacher of all. The question is, will you learn from it, or wallow in your sorrow?" Frigga responds._

_Thor is quiet for a moment, then asks, "What do I do, Mom? I don't know what to do. For once, I cannot see anything in my path."_

_"And that, my son, means you can decide from now on what you want to do with your life," Frigga says._

_Thor is quiet for a moment, then smiles. "I love you, mom," he says._

_"I love you, too," Frigga responds, smiling brightly._

Thor falls back against the ground, the Gauntlet falling from his hand., Everybody rushes to his side.

"Don't move him!" Steve orders. Clint kicks the Gauntlet away from Thor.

Tony raises his hand and uses his cold blaster to freeze Thor's arm, soothing the agony from the radiation burn. Thor pants a bit as he tries to get his breath and strength back.

"Did it work?" Thor asks.

"We're not sure," Oliver says.

The doors around the room slowly open. Scott walks towards a window, which looks over a small courtyard.

Suddenly, the sound of a ringing phone hits their ears. Natasha looks at the phone. Her phone. Confused, she walks towards it and picks it up.

"Hello?" she asks.

"Romanoff. Can you hear me?" a familiar voice asks.

Natasha's eyes shoot wide open. "Nick?" she asks.

"Who else sounds like me?" Nick Fury asks.

Natasha stands there, just shocked. Across the room, Scott is looking out over the courtyard, and the birds flying around he didn't remember seeing there before.

"Guys. I think it worked," he says.

On the ground, Thor is starting to recover. He looks up, and sees a black shape in the sky over the Facility before a volley of missiles hit, and it seems like the very air explodes.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I hope I did okay with the Thor and Loki scene. I think, after a year of being subjugated to Thanos' will, Loki would have done some serious self reflection, and been ready to change after being freed.**

**I hope you like that I had Thor snap his fingers instead. Since Professor Hulk isn't in this, I felt Thor was the better option. I also felt it afforded a chance to still do a Thor-Frigga scene.**

**Obviously, the battle will begin next chapter. But first, I have some questions for you all. First, what do you want to see Loki do after this is over? And second, what Earth-99 character would you like to see join the Legends?**

**Alright. Next chapter will be up next week. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	27. Chapter 27- Back To Me

**Hey, everybody. Here we go. The battle is about to begin. Let's get to it.**

**Guest**: I do realize I have kinda forgotten about William. He will be in this again, I promise.

**Green Hal37**: All Nebula knew was that Gamora was killed by Thanos on Vormir. She didn't necessarily know someone had to die for the Soul Stone. For all she knew, Thanos could've killed Gamora after obtaining the Stone.

**Arrowverse Fan217**: I have a different plan for Thane.

**Tiaqua Neptune**: Natasha is gonna be with Oliver, so she will not be joining the Legends.

* * *

Chapter 27- Back to Me

It's almost as if night has begun to fall. The smoke from the missiles and the collapsing Facility have caused the sky around the Facility to get much darker.

Many members of the team have fallen through newly created holes in the ground, and are now buried beneath the ruins of the Facility. In a cavity in the ruins, Rhodey, Rocket, Banner, and Bruce are all rather dazed. Thane, who fell with them, has conjured an amber shield over their heads, trying to hold the rocks back.

"I can't breathe!" Rocket cries.

In his suit, Rhodey groans before saying, "Canopy! Canopy! Canopy!" The damaged suit opens up, allowing Rhodey out.

"Everyone, try and get out of here!" Thane orders.

"Get me out first!" Rocket cries. Bruce and Rhodey move towards the boulder that has Rocket trapped, and manage to lift if off of him.

"Guys!" Thane calls out. They all look up to see water surging in.

* * *

Further up in the rubble, Scott and Cassie, both shrunk, pull themselves out of the rubble. Suddenly, they hear Rhodey call out, "Mayday! Mayday! The lower level is flooding. We are drowning does anybody copy? Mayday!"

"Wait. We're here. Can you hear me?" Scott calls out.

"Come on, Dad," Cassie says, and rushes off, Scott following close behind.

* * *

Even further down, in the sewers beneath the Facility, Clint pulls himself up. Groaning a bit, he looks up and calls, "Cap?" No answer.

Clint looks around, then spots something. He moves to take a closer look, and sees the Gauntlet, fully intact, lying amidst the rubble. He starts to brush the rocks off of it when he hears a growl behind him.

Clint freezes for a moment. Then, he slowly turns around, pulling out a flare arrow and fitting it to his bow. Looking at the tunnel behind him, he can see movement, but can't make anything out. A second later, he releases the arrow. As it streaks through the tunnel, it reveals a number of Outriders, which growl as the arrow flies past.

Clint's eyes widen a bit, and he growls a bit. He quickly snatches up the Gauntlet and starts running through the sewers as the Outriders pursue him.

* * *

On the surface, Steve, still mostly out, hears, "Come on, buddy." He feels something tap his shoulder, and slowly opens his eyes.

"There we go," Tony says as he kneels down besides Steve, holding his shield. He holds out the shield and says, "You lose this again, I'm keeping it."

Steve looks around and asks, "What happened?"

"Thanos must have found us before Carol found him. Come on," Tony says. He helps Steve to his feet, and the two walk through the rubble before seeing the exit out of it, where Thor and Oliver are already standing.

The two walk up to him and look down at the ruins stretched out before them. Thanos is sitting on some of the rubble, a massive two-bladed sword stabbed into the ground beside him.

"What's he been doing?" Tony asks.

"Absolutely nothing," Thor responds.

"Where are the Stones?" Steve asks.

"Somewhere under all this. All I know is he doesn't have 'em," Tony responds.

"So we keep it that way," Oliver adds, clutching his bow tightly.

"You know it's a trap, right?" Thor asks.

"Yeah. I don't much care," Tony says.

"Good. Just as long as we're all in agreement," Thor says, as his eyes begin to glow. Thunderclouds begin to gather overhead. Thor reaches out his hands, and moments later, Stormbreaker and Mjolnir fly into his hands. As they do, the wounds on his arm from the use of the Gauntlet begins to heal. He glares at Thanos as he says venomously, "Let's kill him properly this time."

The four Avengers make their way down towards Thanos. As they round a corner into view of him, less than 30 yards away, Thanos looks up at them and says, "You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me."

The four Avengers begin to separate and surround Thanos. Thanos looks down at the ground for a moment before looking back up and saying, "I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me…that's impossible. As long as there are those who remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist."

"Yeah. We're stubborn. Get used to it," Oliver says snarkily.

Thanos smirks a bit. "I'm thankful," he says. He tosses a rock to the ground he's been fiddling with, then says, "Because now, I know what I must do." He stands and grabs his helmet, placing it on his head as he says, "I will shred this universe down to its last atom. Then, with the Stones you've collected for me, create a new one. Teeming with life." He pulls his sword out of the ground and shifts his grip on its handle as he says, "That knows not what it has lost, but only what it has been given. A grateful universe."

Thor settles into a combat stance as lightning wreaths his two weapons. Oliver draws an arrow and fits it to his bow. Tony's mask forms around his head. And Steve readies his shield as he replies to Thanos' statement, "One born out of blood."

"They'll never know it. Because you won't be alive to tell them," Thanos says as he settles into a fighting stance.

There's quiet for a moment, then Oliver releases his arrow. Thanos blocks it with his sword as Thor bellows and he and Tony leap at Thanos, Tony conjuring a blade with his suit's nanotech. Thor strikes at Thanos with Stormbreaker, as Tony slashes at Thanos. Thanos blocks them both, deflects Steve's thrown shield, then dodges Oliver's strike with his bow. The four Avengers continue their attack, determined to end Thanos once and for all.

* * *

Deep under the surface, Thane is struggling to hold his shield in place. The rocks above them are holding steady, but the water level is rising fast. Rhodey looks to Rocket, Bruce, and Banner, and says, "See you on the other side, guys."

"Hang on! We're coming!" Scott cries as he rides on a small piece of rubble across the water as Cassie flies alongside him as they head deeper into the rubble, desperate to rescue their teammates.

"Cassie! You go rescue your teammates from the future! I've got these guys!" Scott says.

"Got it, Dad!" Cassie responds before she turns off to try and find her New Avenger teammates.

* * *

In another cavity in the rock, Cisco groans as he comes to. Looking around, he sees Caitlin, Diana, and Slade all lying unconscious in the rubble. Groaning, he tries to crawl through the rubble to reach his friends.

"Guys! Come on! Wake up! We gotta get out of here!" Cisco cries.

* * *

Further up in the rubble, Barry shakes his head as she tries to sit up. Looking around, he sees Nora, Stephen, Pietro, and Kara all scattered around him. Nora and Pietro are both waking up, but Stephen and Kara remain unconscious.

"Stephen! Kara! Come on! Wake up!" Barry calls. Nora and Pietro, who are closer, try shaking them awake, while trying to avoid causing the ceiling to collapse on top of them.

* * *

Deeper in the ruins, Clint is still running from the Outriders. The ravenous aliens are snarling and tripping over themselves trying to reach Clint, but slowly gaining on him.

Getting a little desperate, Clint draws an explosive arrow and stabs it into a pipe off to his side. He follows up with two more, one stabbed into the ceiling, and one stabbed off to the other side. As he gets out of range, the arrows explode, engulfing the outriders in the blasts and knocking Clint flying through the air.

Clint scrambles back to his feet and glances back. To his surprise, a number of the Outriders are still alive, and start heading towards him again.

Clint responds quickly, firing an extension cable up a tunnel above him. As soon as it fixes into the ceiling about a hundred feet overhead, he hooks it onto his belt and begins hauling himself up. As he ascends the pipe, he draws his sword.

The Outriders, still in decent shape, start leaping up the pipe. Clint kills two with his sword. As he reaches the top, he turns around and cuts the line with his sword, cutting an Outrider in two as well. He leans over the side of the pipe and yells down it, only to see two more pursuing him.

The Outriders leap out of the pipe. Clint scrambles back. But, before he can do anything, two arrows drive through one's head, killing it. Then, Roy leaps into view, grabbing Clint's sword and beheading the last one.

Roy breathes heavily for a few seconds before turning to Clint. Clint looks back at him for a moment before saying, "Nice timing, kid."

Roy smirks a bit as he holds out his hand to Clint. Clint takes it, and Roy helps Clint back to his feet. Roy then hands Clint back his sword and says, "Come on. We need to find a way out of here. We need to get the Stones out of here."

"You know where the Speed Stone is?" Clint asks.

Roy just smirks as he pulls the Speed Stone out of one of his suit's pockets. "It fell with me. Found it next to me when I woke up. Come on. Let's go."

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I thought this covered enough. The rest of the initial battle before the portals will be covered next chapter.**

**Next chapter will be up soon. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	28. Chapter 28- Worthy

**Alright. Back with another chapter. It may be short, but it should still be good. Let's get to it.**

**Also, let's take a moment to acknowledge something awesome. Marvel and Sony have made up, and Spider Man will be remaining in the MCU. So excited for that!**

**Green Hal37:** You forgot Earth-2 and Jesse Quick. And Spider Man may very well have a fanboy moment.

**Guest: **There will be a story that features mainly on Oliver and Natasha. But, I will also be doing a Legends story. That's the beauty of not being bound by money and actors/actresses patience. I can do as many stories as I want!

* * *

Chapter 28- Worthy

Tony lands about ten yards from Thanos. The back of his suit opens up, revealing a new energy absorber he has fitted to his suit.

"Alright, Thor. Hit me!" Tony calls. Thor charges up a lightning bolt and fires it into the energy absorber. The lightning supercharges the suit, and Tony fires eight supercharged repulsor blasts at Thanos. Thanos is forced onto the defensive, spinning his sword fast enough to block the blasts.

Thor tosses Mjolnir into the air and hits it with Stormbreaker. Thanos blocks it by grabbing Tony and holding him into the path of Mjolnir, sending both the hammer and Tony tumbling across the ground.

"Boss, wake up!" FRIDAY calls out in Tony's helmet, but Tony is out cold for the moment.

Steve lunges forward, smashing his shield against Thanos' face, knocking the Titan back. He tries to punch Thanos again, but Thanos grabs him and throws him aside.

Oliver takes the opportunity, firing three arrows in rapid succession. Thanos, however, picks up his sword and deflects all three arrows off the blade. Oliver rushes at Thanos and leaps towards him, ready to strike with his bow. Thanos slashes at Oliver with his sword, and Oliver barely manages to duck under the blow. He hits Thanos in the chest with his bow and aims another blow at his face, but Thanos grabs Oliver's fist and throws Oliver away.

Seeing Thor running towards him, Thanos throws his sword at him. Thor ducks under the flying sword, which returns to Thanos' hand, just in time to be used to block Stormbreaker. He the shoves Stormbreaker back, letting go of his sword in the process. Thanos then punches Thor several times, forcing him to drop Stormbreaker.

Thanos grabs Thor around the neck, glaring intently at him. He then spins around and throws Thor into a pile of rubble. Thor falls to the ground, his face bloody. Before he can do anything, Thanos stomps up to him and punches him twice n the face and once in the gut before grabbing Thor and throwing him several yards into more rubble. He stomps up to Thor and kicks him in the chest and punches him again in the face, knocking Thor back into the rubble.

Thor is dazed by the repeated blows, but not yet out of the fight. He lifts his hand, trying to summon Stormbreaker back to him. However, Thanos notices the movement. As Stormbreaker flies towards Thor's hand, Thanos whips around and grabs the axe. Gripping it's handle in one hand and the head of the axe in the other, he attempts to drive the axe into Thor's chest. Thor reaches up and manages to grab Stormbreaker, trying desperately to stop it. However, still not in best shape from his beating, he watches as the axehead inches closer to his chest.

Unkown to either of them, yards away, Mjolnir, which has been resting on the ground since Thor's failed attack with it, slowly lifts into the air. Thanos smirks as Stormbreaker begins to push down on Thor's armor, unaware of this. That is, until Mjolnir smacks him in the back of the head, forcing him to let go of Stormbreaker and stumble a few steps from Thor.

Mjolnir halts in its path, then reverses course and flies back over Thanos' head. Right into Steve's hand.

Steve looks at the ancient hammer, then back at Thanos as he settles into a fighting stance. Thor smiles, chuckling slightly, as he gasps out, "I knew it."

Thanos kicks Thor back into the rubble, picking up his sword and turning to face Steve. Steve starts towards Thanos, spinning Mjolnir, both him and the hammer gaining in speed. He springs off a piece of rubble as Thanos jumps to meet him. He swings the hammer upwards, hitting Thanos under the chin and knocking him to the ground.

Thanos gets back to his feet. Steve throws his shield at Thanos, who deflects it off his sword. Steve follows up by throwing Mjolnir at his shield. The hammer hits the shield, sending out a shockwave that knocks Thanos to his knees and causes him to let go of his sword.

Steve grabs both his shield and Mjolnir as they return to him, then jumps up and brings his foot down on Thanos' knee as the Titan tries to regain his feet, making Thanos stumble again. He then bashes Thanos' knee with Mjolnir, then follows up with a blow with his shield to the face, and a follow up strike with Mjolnir to his face. Thanos stumbles back, groaning from the pain.

Steve throws his shield right at Thanos' face, then hits it with Mjolnir as it comes back, knocking it back for a second blow. He then summons some lightning into Mjolnir, sending the lightning lancing across the ground until it knocks Thanos to the ground. Steve then lifts Mjolnir skyward, summoning an even larger lightning bolt to strike Thanos.

Thinking Thanos is dazed, Steve summons more lightning to charge Mjolnir's head and leaps forward to strike Thanos. However, at the last second, Thanos rolls out of the way. Scrambling over to his sword, Thanos turns around, pulling off his damaged helmet, and slashes at Steve. Steve manages to dodge or block a few blows, until Thanos manages to get in a hit, stabbing his sword into Steve's leg. Steve cries out in pain, but manages to hold on. He tries to strike Thanos with Mjolnir, but Thanos grabs Steve's wrist and stops the strike. Dropping his sword, he punches Steve with his now free hand, knocking Mjolnir flying out of Steve's grip. A fierce kick then knocks Steve rolling back across the ground.

Thanos picks up his sword again and steps forward to attack Steve. Suddenly, he hears a loud voice shout, "Hey, ugly!"

Thanos turns towards the sound of the voice, and sees Logan standing about 15 feet away, claws extended. "Who are you?" Thanos asks.

"I'm the Wolverine, you SOB," Logan says before lunging towards Thanos.

Thanos slashes his sword at Logan's head, but Logan ducks under the blade before popping back up, slashing at Thanos' chest. Thanos pulls back, preventing Logan's claws from cutting through his skin, but they do succeed in cutting a gash in his armor.

A little surprised at how sharp Logan's claws are, Thanos slashes at Logan again, but Logan ducks, leaping up and kicking Thanos in the head. He then slashes his claws at Thanos' right shoulder, cutting a large chunk out of his armor.

Thanos growls and throws a punch, hitting Logan and knocking him flying into a pile of rubble. Thanos stabs his sword down towards Logan, but Logan rolls aside and leaps back up, stabbing his claws down at the exposed skin on Thanos' right shoulder. The adamantium claws drive into Thanos' skin, causing the Titan to cry out in pain. In part as a knee jerk reaction, his arm flails slightly, catching Logan and knocking him back into rubble.

Logan regains his feet and runs back at Thanos. Thanos dodges Logan's first two slashes before Logan manages to get his claws into a gap in his armor, causing Thanos to cry out in pain again. He kicks Logan away, then grabs his sword again and slashes at Logan. Logan tries to dodge the attack, but the sword cuts along his leg, almost cutting it off. Logan cries out in pain. Before he can attack again, Thanos kicks him back to the ground, then grabs him by the throat and throws him. Logan goes tumbling across the ground before slamming into a large piece of rubble, where he crumples to the ground, dazed and waiting for his leg to heal.

Back where he fell, Steve is trying to regain his feet. Thanos, breathing a tiny bit heavier, takes a moment to catch his breath, turns back towards Steve. His brief fight with Logan had taken him further away from Steve, and he's now almost right under the _Sanctuary II_.

Thanos looks at Steve for a moment, then says, loud enough for Steve to hear, "In all my years of conquest, and violence…it was never personal." He pauses for a moment, then says, "But I'll tell you now. What I'm about to do to your stubborn, annoying little planet…I'm gonna enjoy it. Very, very much."

Right then, the _Sanctuary II_ opens up, beaming the Black Order down to the ground, along with some of Thanos' armies. Dropships containing Chitauri, Outriders, Sakaarans, and Chitauri Gorillas, among other aliens begin landing, disgorging their armies, which gather as a sea of black behind Thanos.

Steve looks down at the ground, then groans as he tries to get to his feet. Suddenly, a hand enters his field of view. He looks up and sees Oliver, looking a little battered but still ready to fight, holding out his hand to Steve.

"Come on, Steve," he says. Steve reaches out and takes hold of Oliver's hand. Oliver pulls Steve to his feet, and together, the two turn to face down Thanos' army.

Thanos smirks as he watches Captain America and the Green Arrow preparing to make their last stand as the final line of defense.

Steve and Oliver walk beside each other, Oliver drawing an arrow and fitting it to his bow, and Steve gripping his shield tightly. However, as they walk slowly towards Thanos and his army, their radio crackles to life, and a scratchy voice calls over it, "Cap, can you hear me?"

The two freeze, trying to figure out who spoke. Then, the voice, now clearer, says, "Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?"

Steve almost gasps, stunned at this, hardly wanting to believe this. Oliver is stunned too, knowing who Sam is.

Then, they hear a noise behind them, and can see a yellow glow out of the corners of their eyes. And they can hear Sam speak through the radio again.

"On your left."

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I know, please don't kill me, but it was either end here, or end when Cap said "Avengers, Assemble!" I chose to end here, so that way I didn't have to cut off in the middle of that epic moment.**

**I hope you liked me bringing in Logan to fight Thanos. Originally, it was gonna be Thane, but I decided to save that fight for later. Also, I know that Logan might've lasted longer, but given how Thanos was able to stand up to and beat Tony, Steve, and Thor all at once, I don't think it's that unrealistic.**

**I also hope you like that I kept Steve's shield intact. Given that I intend for Steve to stick around for a while yet, he's still gonna need that shield.**

**So, obviously, the Battle of Earth is gonna start for real next chapter. It will last 2 to 3 chapters, depending on how long I want to make the chapters. I hope you are excited for this. I will try and have the battle finished within a week.**

**Well, until the next chapter is posted, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	29. Chapter 29- Avengers, Assemble!

**Alright. Here we go. The Battle is beginning for real. Let's get to it. Also, for reference, given there are multiple characters with the same name in this chapter, here is my guide for those (real name first-name used in the chapter): Peter Quill- Star Lord; Peter Parker- Peter; Nora Darhk- Nora Darhk; Nora Allen- Nora; Bruce Banner- Banner/Hulk; Bruce Wayne- Batman.**

**Guest:** A Spider-Man/Flash team up is on my list of candidates for stories to be part of the MACU's Phase Three.

**gammaxmen80:** I do agree with Oliver, Barry, and Kara being the Arrowverse's Big Three like Tony, Steve, and Thor are for the MCU. But if I included Barry and Kara in that fight, it would have been too easy for them to beat Thanos.

* * *

Chapter 29- Avengers, Assemble!

Oliver and Steve turn to their left, seeing an orange portal opening behind them. As they watch it, three figures step out of the portal. At first, the light of the portal prevents them from seeing who it is. As the figures walk closer, Steve and Oliver see that the figures are Okoye, Shuri, and T'Challa.

Steve and Oliver stare at the three, realizing for sure that Thor's snap worked, and that the Decimation has been reversed. Steve feels emotions welling up inside him as he and Oliver stare at the three. T'Challa stares back at them for several moments, then a shape appears on the other side of the portal. A second later, Sam flies through the portal. He pulls up and circles around the portal he just flew out of, as more portals begin to open.

Steve and Oliver look back and forth as the portals begin to open. One opens fully, revealing Dr. Strange, Drax, and Mantis. After a moment, Star Lord flies up and lands, deactivating his mask. After another moment, Peter swings up and lands in front of the four, his mask deactivating as well.

Steve and Oliver start to smile, and look back at T'Challa. The portal behind him opens wider, and T'Challa begins to chant, "Ybombay! Ybombay! Yombay!" And behind him, the Wakandan army echoes the chant as they begin to walk out of the portal, as aircraft of the Wakandan Air Force emerge from portals higher off the ground.

All around them, reinforcements continue to stream out of the portals. More of the Wakandan army marches out of another portal, with Hydro Man and Groot at the forefront.

From another portal, Valkyrie, along with Sif, Korg, and Miek, leads the army of Asgard, once again ready for battle. As the Asgardians settle into a fighting stance, Wanda lowers from the sky, her hands glowing with red energy.

Across the plain, the army of the Masters of the Mystic Arts emerge from more portals, with Wong at their head.

From another portal emerge the Ravagers. And in front, Hope van Dyne grows to normal size, wearing the Wasp suit.

From another portal, Bucky walks out, leading Diggle, Rene, Lyla, Dinah, Vincent, and Thea. Following behind them is the army of ARGUS, with King Shark in their midst, growling in anticipation of the fight.

From another portal emerges J'onn, followed by James Olsen, Alex Danvers, and Brainy, and an army of DEO agents.

From another portal emerge Ralph, Wally, and Joe, holding an assault rifle.

Two breaches open on either side of Team Flash, with Jesse Quick and Jay Garrick emerging from them.

From another portal emerge Malcolm Merlyn, Nyssa, and Talia, followed by the Thanatos Guild, former members of the League of Assassins loyal to Nyssa, and Talia's warrior cult.

From another portal, to the surprise of some who know of them, emerges the army of Gorilla City, led by Solovar, all ready for battle.

From another portal emerge the armies of the Amazons, led by Queen Hippolyta.

Then, overhead, the Waverider appears. Seconds later, Sara, Ray, Nora Darhk, Mick, John Constantine, Zari, and Nate Heywood leap out of the ship, with Mona and Charlie remaining on the Waverider.

Then, from the sky, a suit just like Tony's flies down and lands. The face mask lifts, revealing the face of Pepper.

"Is that everyone?" Dr. Strange asks Wong.

"What, you wanted more?" Wong asks.

A rumbling gets everybody's attention. Then, much of what is still standing of the Facility bursts apart as Scott and Cassie, both at giant size, burst up through the ruin. Scott opens his hands, and Thane, Batman, and the Hulk all land, while Rhodey, now wearing his newest suit, hovers over them, and Rocket lands on Rhodey's shoulder, cocking his gun.

As Scott does this, Cassie opens her hands, and from out of them come Bobby, Jenna, Danai, Azari, Morgan, William, and Harry Wells, armed with his energy rifle. Cassie then shrinks back to normal size.

A breach opens on the field, and Cisco, Caitlin, Diana, Laurel, and Slade all emerge from it.

A second later, Kara bursts up through the rubble. A moment later, Barry, Pietro, Nora, and Stephen all race out of the hole created by Kara. Barry notices Wanda in the midst of the assembling heroes, and tears begin to fill his eyes.

Then, from out of the midst of the rubble, Loki emerges, followed closely by Natasha and Nebula, the three having only just regained consciousness.

Across the field, the war cries of the assembling armies echo. Steve and Oliver turn their gaze back towards Thanos, Oliver smirking. Now, the reinforcements they so desperately needed have come. Everybody is back.

Thanos stares at the army that has assembled before him. Now, the victory he thought he was guaranteed seems more uncertain.

Across from Thanos, Steve knows it's time. "Avengers!" he shouts. The assembled heroes settle into a battle stance. Steve reaches out and summons Mjolnir back to his hand. He then looks across at Thanos, and in a very iron tone, says, "Assemble."

Thor bellows his war cry, along with others, and as one, the army surges forward. Those who are airborne soar over the charging army.

Ahead of them, Thanos, glaring hatefully at Earth's defenders, raises his sword, pointing it at them, signaling his army forward. Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, and Ebony Maw leap over the ledge they were standing on and charge to meet their enemies, the armies of Thanos following behind them.

Unintimidated, the armies of Earth press on. Thor bellows another war cry as the armies charge, determined to stop Thanos or die trying.

With an almighty roar, the two armies clash. Steve and Thor unleash lightning from Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Those heroes flying unleash their weapons. Hulk grabs holds of a Chitauri and sends it flying through the air as M'Baku bashes a Chitauri with his staff, bellowing his war cry. The Waverider flies overhead with the Wakandan aircraft, firing down onto the enemy.

Overhead, a Chitauri Leviathan descends on the army, only for Scott to punch it down to the ground. As it crashes, T'Challa and Azari together take down several Outriders as Okoye and Shuri engage more Chitauri. Behind them, Drax runs up to Cull Obsidian, who is fighting Korg, and jumps on his back. At the same time, Diana and Batman are attacking and cutting down a group of Sakaarans that presumed they were easy bait.

Overhead, Pepper flies in pursuit of a necrocraft, blasting it with her repulsors. She then turns around in midair as Tony and Morgan fly up right beside her. Back to back, the family unleashes all of their repulsors and unibeams, cutting down every enemy airborne unit in sight.

Below them, aliens go flying as Barry, Nora, Stephen, and Pietro race through their ranks. Then, Wally pulls in beside them. And second later, Jesse and Jay pull up in the rear. Barry smiles to himself and spurs himself faster. And together, in a V formation, the seven speedsters race through Thanos' armies, killing or knocking out every enemy in their path.

Down on the ground, Tony has landed, and is blasting aliens left and right. Suddenly, a Chitauri Gorilla comes bearing down on him. But, before Tony can even react, something pulls the creature back. Scott then steps on it, killing it. As he stomps off, Tony sees Peter standing behind where the creature had been standing.

Peter leaps forward and lands in front of Tony. As he helps him out, he says, "Hey. Holy cow. Can you believe all this?! All these superheroes?! It's like they've come from other worlds or something! Do you think they came from other Earths in the multiverse that you told me about?"

Tony just stares at Peter for a moment, hardly able to believe that he's back. Then, he steps forward and embraces Peter, who stops his rambling and just freezes for a moment before hugging Tony back. "Oh, this is nice," he mutters.

* * *

Yards away, Hulk lands on a pile of rubble after taking down several flying Chitauri chariots. A roar behind him draws his attention, and he sees Cull Obsidian charging to meet him. Hulk roars in return, and the two lunge at each other.

Hulk raises his fists and brings them down on Cull's head, knocking him to the ground. He then lifts him up to punch him again, only for Cull to punch him in the head. Cull then swings his hammer, knocking Hulk back into another pile or rubble.

Cull is about to attack again when a massive growl draws his attention. Cull turns to see Solovar charging at him. Cull growls and throws his hammer, which Solovar blocks with his shield. He then jumps forward towards Cull and punches him in the face. Solovar then tries to drive his spear down at Cull's head, but Cull grabs the spear, twisting it and causing Solovar to stumble off of him. He is ready to punch Solovar when Hulk runs up and punches Cull, knocking him back.

Hulk and Solovar look at each other, then nod once to each other before turning back to Cull. The two run at Cull. He tries to throw his hammer, but Solovar blocks it with his shield. Hulk then jumps forward, delivering a powerful punch to the chest. Cull stumbles back, and Hulk uses the moment to rip the hammer from Cull's hand. Solovar then bashes Cull with his shield.

Solovar then looks at Hulk, and using his telepathy, says, _Throw me_. Hulk, knowing Solovar's plan, holds out his hands. Solovar leaps up onto Hulk's hands, allowing Hulk to launch Solovar skyward.

Cull manages to regain his feet, and rushes at Hulk again. However, in his haste, he throws a rather clumsy punch, which Hulk stops by grabbing Cull's fist. He then brings his other fist down on top of Cull's head, dazing him and causing him to drop to the ground. Hulk then begins pummeling Cull with punch after punch.

A growl overhead draws Hulk's attention. He glances up, and sees Solovar coming down towards him. He quickly dodges aside. A few moments later, Solovar comes down at high speed, and drives his spear through Cull's chest. Despite Cull's very tough skin, the speed and force behind Solovar's spear is too much, and the spear pierces right through Cull's heart. Within moments, the massive alien is dead.

Solovar pulls his spear back out of Cull's chest, and picks his shield back up. He then turns to face Hulk and nods once. _You are strong. You have my respect,_ Solovar says with his telepathy.

"Less talk. More smashing," Hulk says before leaping off to find more victims. Solovar seems to grin before running off to join Hulk.

* * *

Across the battlefield, Sara is fighting tooth and nail with her batons with several Sakaarans. She manages to snap one's neck, then throws a knife through the throat of another. However, before she can react, the third punches her and knocks her to the ground. He's about to bring his blade down on her, but before he can, a blast of ice hits him from behind, knocking him against a pile of metal and freezing him to it, completely encasing him in ice.

Sara gets back on her feet, and looks to find her rescuer, and sees Bobby standing a few yards away. As she notices him, she sees his body turn from ice back to skin.

The two stare at each other for a moment before Bobby steps forward and says, "Hey, mom."

Sara's eyes widen at those words. "W-what did you just call me?" she asks.

"I called you 'mom'. I thought you would've heard that word before. And I thought you'd heard of time travel," Bobby says a bit sarcastically.

Sara stands there, frozen in shock, her mind taking a few seconds to catch up. When it does, her eyes get even wider, and she gasps, "R-Robert?"

"I prefer Bobby, but yes. I came back from the future to help," Bobby says.

Sara stands there, not knowing what to think right now. Then, Bobby steps forward and pulls her into a hug. Sara just stands there, frozen for a moment. Then, Bobby says, in a bit of a choked up voice, "I never thought I'd get to meet you, Mom. I thought I'd grow old and die without ever seeing you."

Sara just stands there, stunned. Then, the reality of the situation hitting her, she throws her arms around Bobby and hugs him tightly, still not wanting to believe it, but an instinct as old as time telling her he's telling the truth.

* * *

Loki ducks under a blow from a Sakaaran before driving his dagger into its neck. He then leaps over the falling body to throw his dagger into the heart of another Sakaaran. He races up and pulls the dagger out as the body begins to collapse to the ground.

Turning around at the sound of approaching enemies, he sees multiple Chitauri stalking towards him. Before any of them get a chance to fire their energy guns at him, a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and kills the Chitauri. A moment later, Thor comes flying down and lands in front of Loki.

"I had that," Loki says.

"Of course you did, brother," Thor says.

Growls draw their attention. They turn and see several dozen Outriders approaching them. They look at each other, then rush, side by side once more, to engage the Outriders.

* * *

Barry smiles to himself as he races through the ranks of some Chitauri, cutting them down with his wrist blades, as Pietro races behind him. His little speedster army has split up, and now it's just Pietro running beside him.

Suddenly, up ahead, he sees Wanda, unleashing her energy blasts at ranks of Outriders. He's momentarily stunned, and almost crashes into a pile of rubble. But, at the last moment, he runs around. Then, he speeds up and stops right in front of her.

Startled, Wanda almost hurls an energy blast at him, but stops at the last second as she realizes who it is. Pietro races up and stops a few feet from Barry, also surprised to finally see his sister. But, neither Wanda or Barry notice, both of them just lost in each other.

Slowly, they step towards each other, stopping when they're right in front of each other. Then, Barry reaches out and touches Wanda's cheek.

Tears begin to flow down Wanda's cheeks. That seems to break Barry out of his daze, and he takes Wanda into his arms and embraces her tightly as both of them start to cry softly.

It takes a few moments before Barry is able to speak. When he does, he says, in a very choked up voice, "I thought I lost you."

"It's okay, Barry. I'm here now, love," Wanda replies.

It takes them a few moments before they separate. They look into each other's eyes for a moment, then both move in at the same time, and share one of the most passionate kisses they've ever shared. It takes them several moments before they are able to bring themselves to break the embrace.

When they finally do, they look at each other through tears, and Barry says, "I promise you. After this, we will be able to be a family."

Wanda smiles at him. Then, she notices her brother behind Barry, and her eyes widen. "Pietro!" she cries.

"Hey, sis," Pietro says with a smile.

Wanda just stares at him for a moment before she says, "You're awake!"

"Yeah. Thanks to your son and daughter," he says.

"What?" Wanda exclaims.

"Yes, dear. Nora and Stephen came back from the future. Thanks to them, Pietro woke up," Barry says.

Wanda looks back and forth between her brother and husband, not sure what to think. Then, Pietro says, "You know, you'll have plenty of time to be lovey dovey when we win this." This makes both Barry and Wanda smile and chuckle.

"You're right. Let's do this," Barry says.

* * *

**And, I'll end the chapter here.**

**So, the battle will be wrapped up next chapter. But, first to address two things. In this universe, Zari remained the one to inherit the Air Totem, and is still on the Legends, even despite the events of Legends Season 4, which have happened in this. Also, you may have noticed one person who was disintegrated didn't come with the rest of the armies. But, I promise he will.**

**Also, I hope you liked my inclusion of the army of Gorilla City in this. I thought, since we already saw Hulk fight Grodd, why not see Hulk and Solovar team up to fight Cull Obsidian. I briefly considered a team up between Hulk and King Shark. That may yet happen in a future story, but I decided to stick with Hulk and Solovar here.**

**Next chapter will be up within the next day or two. Hope you're excited for it. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	30. Chapter 30- Victory

**Alright, here we go. The second half of the Battle of Earth.**

**This is gonna be longer than the last chapter, and will include some pretty epic moments, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, there will be a few deaths in this chapter. One will be right at the start of the chapter.**

**Let's get to it.**

**willdawg992003: **The Suicide Squad will be featured in a future story, and King Shark will likely be in it. But...you do realize by this time in the timeline that Amanda Waller has been dead for four years?

**Jazzlover20**: I updated the chapter. There's just so many people to include that I just missed including them by accident. But yes, they were there.

* * *

Chapter 30- Victory

Thea lets out her war cry as she attacks a Chitauri. She bashes the alien in the face with her bow, then pulls out an arrow and drives it into the Chitauri's face. Pulling it back out, she then sends it into the chest of another Chitauri a few yards away.

Looking around, Thea sees members of the League of Assassins attacking the aliens viciously, with Nyssa and Talia in their midst, fighting like demons.

Suddenly, as she turns around to find another target, she is punched in the side of the head and knocked off her feet. Looking up, she sees Proxima Midnight stepping forward to kill her. That is, until an arrow hits her in the chest, causing her to stumble back.

Thea looks back, and sees Malcolm running towards her. He leaps over her and attacks Proxima, striking her with his bow and knocking her back into a pile of rubble. He then turns back to Thea.

"Wh-what?" Thea gasps out.

But before she can say anything more, Malcolm says, "You can scream at me after we win." He holds out his hand, which Thea accepts after a moment.

Malcolm pulls her to her feet, and the two turn to face Proxima. She glares at them and lunges towards them, spear at the ready. Malcolm jumps forward to meet her, sword at the ready. The two clash, spear against sword, and begin exchanging several blows. After a moment, Proxima knocks him back, only for Thea to jump forward and take his place, punching Proxima in the face. She then lands several blows on Proxima before the alien manages to land a punch to Thea's stomach, knocking her back.

Proxima raises her spear to stab Thea. However, Malcolm leaps forward again, deflecting her spear away with his sword. He then tries to cut off her hand, but Proxima dodges to the side and grabs Malcom's wrist, throwing him aside. She then rushes at Thea, who has regained her feet. She tries to stab Thea with her spear, but Thea ducks under the spear, then draws her katana and slashes at Proxima's leg, cutting along it lengthwise.

Proxima growls, but doesn't back down. She deflects another slash from Thea with her spear's shaft. However, Thea then manages to slash across Proxima's arm, causing her to drop her spear. She then kicks at Proxima, but Proxima uses her other hand to grab Thea's foot. She then shoves Thea's foot down before kicking her, sending Thea flying back into a pile of rubble.

Thea, dazed, tries to regain her bearings. Looking up, she sees Proxima leaping towards her, a blade sprouting from a band on her wrist. Proxima stabs it down towards Thea, but before the blade can reach her, something comes between the two of them, and there's the sound of metal piercing flesh. A second later, Thea realizes what's happened, and stares horrified into Malcolm's eyes as he stares back at her. Then, she glances down, at the blade protruding from Malcolm's stomach.

Then, Proxima turns and throws Malcolm away. She sneers after him. Then, suddenly, Logan leaps out of nowhere, kicking Proxima in the chest and knocking her back.

Thea stares at Logan as he faces down Proxima. Then, out nowhere, Slade appears, pulling her to her feet. "Let's get that b****," he says. Thea nods, and they both turn towards Proxima, who is currently exchanging blows with Logan.

Slade charges towards Proxima, slashing at her chest with his sword. She dodges, but Thea leaps over Slade's head, bringing her bow down onto Proxima's head. Proxima tries to slash with her wrist blade at Thea, but Slade cuts off her hand.

Proxima cries out in pain. She tries to punch Slade, but Thea kicks her, knocking her back, giving Logan the chance to slash her leg off below the knee. Proxima cries out in pain again, but is silenced by Slade driving his sword into her chest.

Slade, Logan, and Thea all stare down at Proxima's corpse for a moment. Then, Thea remembers Malcolm, and turns around, looking for him. Seeing him lying several yards away, she rushes up to him.

"Hey!" she cries.

Malcolm, who's barely breathing, looks up at her. "You're alright," he gasps.

"Why would you do that?" she asks.

"Because, Thea. No matter what you may think, you are my daughter. And I will always protect you," Malcolm says. He then coughs before taking his last breath.

Thea stares down at her father's body, just stunned. Then, she feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns, and to her surprise, sees Oliver standing behind her.

"Ollie," she breathes.

"Hey, Speedy. Come on. I know it's tough, but we have a battle to fight. We'll have time to mourn later," Oliver says.

Thea sits there for a moment, then leaps up and throws her arms around her brother. "I missed you, Ollie," she says.

"I missed you too, Speedy," Oliver responds, as the brother and sister take just a moment to enjoy their reunion.

* * *

Clint ducks under a laser blast as he and Roy race across the battlefield, Clint still carrying the Gauntlet, and Roy still carrying the Speed Stone.

The two spot a group of Outriders up ahead. But, before the Outriders can even get close, a small force of Amazons, led by Queen Hippolyta, cuts them down. A Chitauri Gorilla behind them meets a similar fate as Sam flies up and drives his wings into its chest.

Looking around to make sure there aren't any enemies that need to be dealt with immediately, Clint gets on the radio and asks, "Cap! What do you want me and Roy to do with these d*** Stones?"

"You need to get them as far away as possible!" Steve responds as he bashes an Outrider in the head with Mjolnir.

Clint and Roy keep running until a blast from a Chitauri chariot hits behind them. Clint whips around and fires a projectile from his wrist bow, taking out a Chitauri. As he whips around, something falls to the ground, releasing a shockwave of purple energy.

"Clint!" Clint hears a voice call to him, and he turns towards the sound of it. He sees T'Challa turning to face him, his mask retracting.

"Give it to me!" T'Challa says. Without hesitation, Clint walks forward and hands the Gauntlet to T'Challa, who takes off running.

As this is happening, Roy is scrambling over a piece of rubble when he sees several Outriders running towards him. Before he can react, however, a blade of purple energy cuts off their heads. Roy looks to see where it came from, and sees Jenna standing there.

"Give me the Speed Stone," she says. Without hesitation, Roy throws the Stone to her. As soon as she catches it, Jenna takes off running.

Jenna and T'Challa race across the battlefield, cutting down anyone who gets in their way, but staying separate to avoid Thanos from seeing both of them.

As T'Challa leaps over a ledge, releasing another kinetic energy blast as he lands, Thanos' sword suddenly flies out of nowhere, hitting him and causing him to drop the Gauntlet. T'Challa turns to follow the sword's path, and sees it fly back into Thanos' hand.

Thanos glares at T'Challa, and starts running towards him. Suddenly, a bolt of yellowish orange lightning streaks in front of him and stops, revealing Stephen, glaring at Thanos as his eyes glow red.

Thanos comes to a stop, staring at Stephen. Stephen glares at him with hate and says in a venom filled voice, "You took… everything from me and my sister."

"I don't even know who you are," Thanos responds.

Suddenly, Wanda flies over a massive pile of rubble, landing next to Stephen. "But you know who I am," she says. She then looks at Stephen, smiling proudly. "Together, my son," she says.

Stephen smiles, feeling ready to cry. "Together, Mom," he responds. Both then turn towards Thanos, glaring at him, and their hands glow red as they take to the air.

Thanos rushes towards them, but both Stephen and Wanda use their powers to hurl massive chunks of rubble at Thanos. They then land and hurl energy blasts at him, causing Thanos to drop his sword. Stephen then speeds forward, delivering a speed punch right to Thanos' face, causing Thanos to stumble back into some more rubble.

As this is going on, T'Challa races to reclaim the Gauntlet. However, as he runs towards it, he sees it flying away from him. Glancing up, he sees Ebony Maw about a hundred yards away, trying to use his powers to summon the Gauntlet to him.

T'Challa puts on an extra burst of speed and leaps forward, grabbing hold of the Gauntlet. However, Ebony Maw continues to summon the Gauntlet towards him, using his powers to wrap stone around T'Challa.

"Toss it! I got it!" Ray shouts as he flies in. T'Challa throws the Gauntlet up, and Ray catches it, flying off before Ebony Maw can react. He flies low over the battlefield, blasting away at Thanos' armies with his free hand.

Meanwhile, Thanos is still trying to fight against Wanda and Stephen. Managing to catch Wanda, he brings his sword down on her, but she blocks it with an energy shield. Then, conjuring as much energy as she can, she fires an energy blast right at Thanos' sword at point blank range. Already weakened, the half of the sword she hit breaks in two.

A moment later, Stephen uses his powers to lift Thanos into the air. Both feeling a sense of satisfaction, Stephen and Wanda begin using their powers to try and tear Thanos' armor off of him.

As his armor begins to peel off of him, Thanos, for the first time, begins to feel fire. Desperate, he cries out, "Rain fire!"

Corvus Glaive, having just killed an Asgardian warrior, looks towards his adopted father and protests, "But sire, our troops!"

"Just do it!" Thanos bellows.

Up above, the _Sanctuary II_ deploys its multitude of laser cannons, and begins firing down on the defending armies. A blast heads right down towards Stephen and Wanda, and Stephen races his mother out of the way.

On the ground, chaos begins to spread. Many members of the defending armies are killed as laser blasts land among them.

As Jenna races across the battlefield, a laser blast lands right next to her, knocking her flying and causing her to lose her grip on the Speed Stone, which goes rolling out of sight.

Overhead, Ray dodges out of the way of various laser blasts. However, one blasts hits a small mountain of rubble, which causes rocks to hit Ray in the back. Some of the sharp rock fragments damage his circuits, causing him to fall to the ground and lose his grip on Gauntlet. Batman, not far away, rushes to protect the Gauntlet.

Among the armies now descending into chaos, Caitlin and Cisco are trying desperately to avoid getting killed by both aliens and laser blasts. As Cisco manages to open a breach in the path of a laser blast heading right for them, causing the blast to emerge in Earth-15, another breach opens a few yards away.

Cisco and Caitlin look towards the breach. A moment later, to their surprise, Gypsy leaps out.

"Gypsy?" Cisco asks.

"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late. I just had to go get one more ally," she responds. A second later, a blur flies out of the breach before stopping in the air above them.

"Well, this all seems horrible," Clark Kent says as he looks around. He then looks up at the _Sanctuary II_, which is still raining its blasts down. He smiles and says, "I'll handle this." His eyes begin to glow, and he unleashes his heat vision. The beams arc across the bottom of the _Sanctuary II_, destroying its laser cannons one by one.

Tony, who is flying over where Clark is hovering, looks between Clark and the ship several times. "Well. Looks like Supergirl's not the only friendly Kryptonian," he says.

"Boss, something's approaching at high speed," FRIDAY pipes up. Tony looks up, and sees a golden light flying through the clouds, streaking towards them from the south. It streaks towards the _Sanctuary II_ and blasts right through the front of it.

Everyone's gaze is drawn to the sight, and they watch as Carol turns around and heads in for a second run. As she does, she glances to either side, and sees Kara and Clark flying just behind her. Grinning, Carol stays on course, and the three smash through the _Sanctuary II_, setting off a series of explosions that tear the ship apart and send it crashing down to the ground. Thanos stands still, stunned by what he just saw.

"Carol. Clark. We could use some help," Barry says from where he's fighting with some Chitauri.

Clark flies down, raining his heat vision down on Thanos' forces. Meanwhile, Carol flies down, searching for the Gauntlet. She quickly spots Batman, and soars down towards him, landing right in front of him.

"Hey," Batman says nonchalantly.

"Hey, Wayne. Got something for me?" Carol asks.

Batman hands her the Gauntlet, then glances behind her. She glances back too, and sees a massive section of Thanos' army, including Corvus Glaive, is charging towards her.

"You sure you got this?" Batman asks.

Suddenly, Wanda flies down behind him. "Don't worry," she says.

"She's got help," Okoye says as she leaps up beside Carol. Then, within seconds of each other, Valkyrie, Pepper, Morgan, Shuri, Cassie, Hope, Caitlin, Laurel, Thea, Dinah, Mantis, Nyssa, Talia, Nora, Nora Darhk, Sara, Zari, Jesse, Kara and Nebula all gather around Carol. The women all look at each other, then charge towards the oncoming army.

Thanos' army is unprepared for the onslaught. The force of female heroes tears through the ranks of the aliens. Nyssa herself stops Corvus, deflecting his blows and driving her sword through his chest.

As the aliens are cleared, Carol takes off, streaking through the remnants of the charging army, ready to carry the Gauntlet to safety. But before she can get clear, Thanos' sword flies out nowhere and hits her, knocking her flying into the remnants of a Chitauri Leviathan, as the Gauntlet falls to the ground.

Multiple heroes see the Gauntlet fall to the ground, and their blood chills as they see Thanos running towards it.

Thor takes to the air, flying to meet Thanos. He swings Stormbreaker towards Thanos, but Thanos deflects it. Several times Thor tries to strike him, but Thanos dodges the blows and finally manages to kick him away.

Thanos turns back towards the Gauntlet, only for Carol to fly in. She throws several photon infused punches at Thanos, forcing him back. Finally, she throws a punch that is just a little too wild, and Thanos is able to not only dodge it, but grab her by the wrist and throw her away.

Again, Thanos turns back to run towards the Gauntlet. As he reaches for it, he finds his hand in a firm grip. Looking up, he sees Clark glaring at him. Thanos wrestles for a moment, trying to overpower Clark, but realizes even his strength can't just overcome a Kryptonian. A little desperate, he thrusts his head forward to headbutt Clark, but to his shock, Clark isn't even fazed.

Clark shoves Thanos back onto his knees, gripping his hand so hard Thanos feels like his hand is about to break. Clark's eyes glow as he prepared to unleash his heat vision. But, before he can, Thanos sees the Power Stone resting in the Gauntlet, just a few feet away. Desperate, Thanos reaches out, pulls the Power Stone from the Gauntlet, and with that hand, punches Clark, releasing a blast that knocks him flying through the air.

All the while, Tony has been watching this. At this moment, he glances off to the side, and sees Dr. Strange. Strange looks back at him. And, as the two stare at each other, Strange slowly lifts one finger, and mouths the words, "Just wait."

Tony looks back, and sees Thanos replacing the Power Stone within the Gauntlet. However, as he moves to put the Gauntlet on, a bolt of dark energy hits him, knocking the Gauntlet from his hand.

Thanos regains his feet and looks in the direction the bolt came from, and sees Thane, holding Corvus' glaive as a temporary weapon, glaring at his father.

"Father," Thane says venomously.

"Thane," Thanos says, just as venomously.

"I have waited a long time for this moment. I will hide no longer. We will finally see who is the stronger," Thane says, the glow of his hands growing brighter. Then, he sprints at this father.

Thanos rushes to meet his son. As they near, Thane hits the ground and slides under Thanos' first punch. As he slides past, Thane slashes with his stolen glaive, cutting Thanos' leg. Thanos growls as he whips around and punches Thane, knocking him off his feet, but Thane quickly flips himself back onto his feet.

Thane slashes his glaive at Thanos' face, but Thanos reaches up and grabs the blade. The blade cuts his hand, and Thanos grits his teeth from the pain, but he just yanks the glaive out of Thane's hand and throws it aside.

Thane doesn't slow down, raising his right hand and sending an amber blast at Thanos from point blank range, knocking him back and causing amber to begin to spread across his chest. Thanos rips it off and throws it aside, only for Thane to leap up and kick Thanos in the face, knocking him down.

Thane reaches out with his left hand and grips his father around the throat. Thanos feels alarmed as he feels the effect of Thane's "death touch". Feeling the energy draining out of him, Thanos reaches out, manages to grab Thane's kryptonite dagger he used against Zod, and drives it into Thane's stomach.

Thane freezes and loosens his grip. Thanos manages to punch Thane in the chest, sending his son flying off of him. Thane tries to regain his feet, but Thanos kicks him, knocking him down. Thanos goes for another punch, but Thane rolls out of the air before unleashing a bolt of black energy from his left hand, sending Thanos stumbling back.

Despite the blood dripping from his wound, Thane rushes towards Thanos. Thanos growls and lunges to meet him. The two exchange several rapid and powerful blows before Thanos manages to grab Thane's left fist. A second later, he brings his fist down onto Thane's head, and Thane crumples. Thanos picks Thane up by the head and throws him back to the ground. He punches him several times, then grabs Corvus' fallen glaive, lying just a few feet away, lifts it up, and drives it into Thane's stomach.

Thanos smirks down at his son as he watches Thane groan and cough, as blood begins flowing out of his stomach. After a second, he turns around, reaches down, and picks up the Gauntlet, sliding it onto his hand.

Across the battlefield, Barry, who had just been knocked to the ground by a grenade blast, looks over, and sees Thane lying on the ground, and Thanos sliding the Gauntlet onto his hand. His eyes widen, horrified. Then, he sees the Speed Stone lying just a few feet away.

Without hesitation, Barry surges forward, grabbing the Speed Stone. Concentrating, he feels the power of the Stone begin to flow into him. Feeling a greater rush of the Speed Force then he ever has, Barry looks toward Thanos, eyes and body crackling with lightning, and surges forward, racing towards Thanos.

As this is happening, Thanos looks down at Thane victoriously. "You lost, son. You always will. I am…inevitable!"

He raises his hand, and is about to snap his fingers, when suddenly there's a flash of lightning in front of him, and he feels something slice cleanly through his wrist.

Thanos cries out in pain and looks at his wrist, seeing that his hand is missing. He looks down at Thane, he is now smiling victoriously. Then, he glances to his other side, just in time to see Barry, holding the Speed Stone in his left hand, which has its vibranium blade extended, and sliding the Gauntlet onto his right hand. As he slides it into place, Barry throws his head back and groans and he feels power like he's never felt before surge through him.

After a few moments, he turns and looks back towards Thanos, breathing heavily. After a moment, he gasps out, "And I…am…..the Flash." And with that, Barry snaps his fingers.

_A moment later, he finds himself in what looks like plain of water and an orange sky. He looks around, and, to his shock, sees his mother ahead of him._

_"Mom?" he asks._

_"My beautiful boy," Nora Allen responds._

_Barry stands there for a moment, then rushes forward and embraces her._

_The two remain ins their embrace for a moment before they separate. Nora smiles and says, "You've done well, Barry. You did it. You saved the multiverse."_

_"I know. I did. But…am I gonna die now?" Barry asks._

_"No," Nora says with a smile. She pauses for a moment, then says, "The power of the Stones would overwhelm most. But you have the gift of the Speed Force. You won't be the same, but you have a lot more adventures ahead of you."_

_Barry smiles. Then, he says, "I love you, Mom. And I…I hope I can be as good a parent as you and Dad."_

_Nora smiles. "You will, my son. You will," she says._

* * *

Rocket raises his guns and fires at Leviathan that's diving on him. Deep down, he knows his guns won't harm it. But that's not gonna stop him from trying.

The Leviathan roars as it prepares to devour Rocket. Rocket puts his hands up to cover his head. But, instead of being snapped up in the Leviathan's jaws, he just feels something lightly hitting his face. He looks up, and sees a cloud of dust where the Leviathan had been a second ago.

All across the battlefield, the heroes and defending armies watch in amazement as one by one, what is left of Thanos' army disintegrates into dust.

From where he stands, Thanos slowly turns in a circle, watching as his army disintegrates. And it truly begins to dawn on him. He's failed. This is the end.

Thanos bows his head a little. He stumbles forward and sits down on a pile of rubble. He sits there, trying to take in what's just happened, then looks up. A slight look of resignation and acceptance starts to come across his face, before he slowly disintegrates into dust.

* * *

**And, I'll end there.**

**I know I could've continued, but if I did, this chapter would've been ridiculously. The next chapter will cover the immediate aftermath of Barry's snap.**

**So, obviously, Malcolm is dead. Honestly, I thought of killing back in _Soldier of Star City_, but I decided to do it this way, so that Malcolm could at least somewhat redeem himself, and do a little bit of good.**

**I hope you like how I introduced Clark. I decided to wait, because otherwise this would be too easy. I'm guessing some you are also wondering why I didn't have a more extensive team up between Carol and Kara, the two Danvers', but that may come in a future story.**

**Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned.**


	31. Chapter 31- No Victory Without Loss

**Alright, everybody. I'm finally gonna wrap up the Battle of Earth in this chapter.**

**Also, just to address something. I've gotten several reviews saying my A-Force moment was weird and unnecessary. Honestly, I agree with you. After I posted the chapter, I realized the moment seemed too forced, and with so many heroes, didn't quite make sense. I'm not going to re-write the chapter, as it would take too long to rework it. But, I don't plan to have another all-women team up in this series. Not that I didn't like the message of female empowerment. It was nice, I'll admit. It just didn't go anywhere.**

**I've also got some reviews expressing disappointment I didn't kill TOny. Honestly, I don't understand that. Why do I need to kill Tony? Yes, it did make _Endgame_ compelling and emotional, but in this series, it wasn't necessary. Plus, this series has particularly focused on Barry. I thought it appropriate he snap his fingers. Tony won't be showing up as often anymore, but he will play a crucial role of some kind in my version of _Crisis on Infinite Earths_.**

**Let's get to it.**

**Guest 1: **You do realize saying "I am (hero name)" is not unique to Batman or Iron Man. Oliver's used it, as has Barry, Kara, Steve, and Dr. Strange have used it in one form or another in the Arrowverse and MCU.

**Guest 2: **Cicada did not survive the first snap, but now she has been restored. I'll do a brief story involving the new Team Flash defeating her. That may be the first story of Phase 2.

**mmat:** Yes, I do, in fact.

**Guest 3: **Unfortunately, there won't be an _Age of Ultron_ type celebration. Mainly because this victory came with great loss, and I don't think the team would be in the mood to celebrate. And I don't agree that there would be a lot of people worthy of it. Barry might be, as might Kara or Clark. But beyond them, I can't think of anyone else.

**Guest 4: **Yes, Gypsy is from Earth-19. Doesn't mean she can't go to Earth-38 to bring Superman over.

**Jazzlover20: **Yeah, I just forgot again. It's hard to remember everybody.

**Green Hal37**: When Barry said that, I think he just meant it to tell his mom how good of parents she and Henry were, and that he just hopes he can be that good of a parent. It's not that he's hung up on it. And for visualization of Logan's outfit, I imagine him wearing a similar suit to what he wore in the X-Men film series. I may have him change to his comics suit later on.

* * *

Chapter 31- No Victory Without Loss

Barry stumbles around, seriously dazed and hardly conscious. After a few moments, he slumps against a pile of rubble and slides down until he's sitting. As he does this, the Gauntlet slides off his right hand, while the Speed Stone rolls out of his left and rolls a few feet away.

Barry looks down at his arm. He can hardly even move his head, so he just looks sideways with his eyes. He sees the arm of his suit badly burned and mangled, and feel the damage the use of the Stones has caused to his body.

The noise of feet running over rocks draws Barry's attention ahead of him again. He looks up and sees Oliver standing in front of him. Oliver pulls down his mask and flips his hood back, then crouches down in front of Barry. He looks at him for a moment, then says, "D*** good job, Barry."

"Thanks, Oliver," Barry whispers in a tone that slightly scares Oliver, but is strong enough to know that his friend, eventually, is gonna be okay.

Two streaks of lightning race up, and Nora and Stephen are suddenly standing in front of Barry.

"Dad!" Nora cries, terrified her dad is about to die.

There's a strange sound, and Wanda flies over a pile of rubble, landing right in front of Barry. Her eyes watery, she kneels down in front of her husband.

"Barry, can you hear me?" she asks.

Barry is still for a moment, then starts to smile before saying weakly, "Yes, babe." He then lets out something that's a mix between a laugh and cough, then says, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Wanda smiles, tears running down her cheeks, and leans in to give Barry a gentle kiss.

Stephen smiles, and Nora breathes a sigh of relief, relived that her father is not going to die.

Then, Stephen's eyes widen, and he exclaims, "Thane!"

Stephen whips around, and immediately spots Thane, still lying where he fell.

Stephen rushes up to Thane and kneels down next to him. "No. Come on, Thane. Stay with us," he says. But, as he sees the wounds all over Thane, especially the ones in his stomach, he knows it's only a matter of time. From experience, he knows human would already be dead, and that even despite his Titan blood, Thane has only a little bit of time left.

Thane smiles up at Stephen, "It's okay, Stephen. I have fulfilled my purpose. Now, it is time for the next big adventure."

Footsteps behind Stephen draw his attention. He looks back, and sees Nebula walking up to them. He slowly stands up and steps away, allowing Nebula to take his place and kneel down at Thane's side.

"Thane," she says softly.

Thane looks up at her, and smiles. "Nebula," he says weakly.

She looks him over, and says, "You deserved better than this. You deserved to be live your life without being afraid of Father."

"And now, I'll never have to be," Thane responds.

Nebula looks down, and for the first time in many years, a tear runs down her cheek. "You can rest now. Brother," she says.

Thane smiles weakly, then says, weaker than ever, "Thank you. Sister." And with that, Thane takes his last breath.

Nebula looks down at the body of her adoptive brother, then finally bows her head, acknowledging that he is gone.

Around the site, the heroes have all gathered, and all are watching what is happening. It takes Nebula bowing her head for them to realize that Thane is gone.

A few steps away from Nebula and Thane, Stephen feels a tear welling up in his eye. Then, slowly, he gets down on one knee, bowing his head to honor the fallen hero.

Seeing Stephen's actions, the other heroes follow suit. One by one, all the heroes and leaders, even those like Solovar, King Shark, and Queen Hippolyta, get down on one knee, many bowing their heads, to honor Thane. Beside Barry, Wanda, also gets down on one knee, while Barry simply bows his head in Thane's direction.

The heroes and leader remain in on their knees for over a minute before they finally start to get up. Still, they mostly remain quiet, the somber mood still resonating across the battlefield.

Steve walks over to where Wanda is still kneeling beside Barry. He kneels down in front of Barry and asks, "Hey, Barry. You okay?"

"Just peachy, Cap," Barry says, letting out an actual laugh this time.

Steve and Wanda both smile. "Come on. Let's get you up," Steve says. Barry slowly nods, and very, very carefully, Steve and Wanda get Barry's arms around their shoulders and help him back to his feet.

They slowly lead Barry over to where the heroes have gathered. The rest of the New Avengers have all gathered around Thane, taking their moment to say a final goodbye to him.

"Well. I think we did it," Stephen says with a smile.

"I guess we did," Bobby says.

"I'm so proud of you," Wanda says.

Stephen and Nora both smile at their mother. Then, they both hurry forward and finally take the chance to embrace their mother, who pulls away from Barry momentarily to be able to embrace her children.

After a few moments, the twins step back. Wanda smiles at them proudly. But, as she is about to say something, Ray speaks up and says, "Uh, you two, what's going on with your hands?"

Nora and Stephen look confused, then look down at their hands. And to their shock, they see what look like white cracks spreading across their hands.

Everyone stares at them. Then, Jenna speaks up and says, "Uh, guys. Me too." Everyone looks at Jenna, and sees the same thing happening to her hands. A quick look around proves it's happening to all the New Avengers.

"What's going on?" Wanda asks in concern.

Nora and Stephen look back at their hands, then up at each other, and understanding crosses their faces, followed by calm. They nod once, then Stephen mutters, "Well, I guess it's time."

"Time for what?" Wanda asks.

Nora and Stephen turn back to their mother, while glancing around at everybody. Loud enough that everybody can hear, Stephen says, "We all come from a future where the Decimation was never reversed. Where everybody who died never came back. Where all of us are missing at least one parent. And where Thane is alive. Now that we've reversed the Decimation, the future has been changed, and these versions of us, where we grew up without a parent or parents, and the Decimation never got fixed, don't exist anymore. So, now, we're going to disappear."

"But-!" Steve starts to exclaim, not wanting to see them all go.

Nora smiles. "It's okay, Steve. All of us have already been born in this time. We'll still exist. It's just that these versions of us will no longer exist. There will be new versions of us taking our place in the future," she says.

"We will live on, in new versions of ourselves, with new lives. Just…make sure that these new versions of ourselves live better lives. Ones where we get to grow up with our parents. Ones where we get to be happy," Stephen says.

Those present day heroes whose children are before them begin to cry, and they all nod.

Stephen and Nora look at each other, smile, then take each other's hands. Stepping back towards there teammates, they stretch out there hands. And one by one, Jenna, Zoe, Danai, Bobby, Cassie, Azari, William, and Morgan all take each others hands, until the New Avengers are standing hand in hand.

They all smile at their parents and predecessors. "See you all later," Stephen says. And just a few moments later, the New Avengers disintegrate in bright white light.

The heroes of the present day all stare in amazement at the spot where the New Avengers vanished. As they do, Wanda walks up beside Barry and puts her arms around him. Barry lets go of Steve and wraps his arms around Wanda.

"Our children grew up to be amazing people," Wanda says softly.

"I know," Barry says weakly.

There's quiet for a few moments before Wanda says, "We have to keep our promise. We have to make sure that Nora and Stephen can live a happy life. With both of us."

"I know. We will," Barry responds.

And silence falls again over the battlefield. And as he stares out over the battlefield, Barry recalls the words of the Duke of Wellington.

"Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won."

* * *

It's a quiet day. The armies that came to Earth's defense have returned to their homes, but their leaders and the heroes they fought alongside have remained behind for one reason.

While the ruins of the New Avengers Facility have been left mostly as they were at the end of the battle, as a memorial to those who died, one small area in the center of the ruins has been cleared and levelled, and it is there that a special ceremony is taking place.

There is quiet as Steve, Thor, Tony, Oliver, Nebula, and Carol walk slowly towards the center of the cleared area, carrying a casket. Inside the casket is the body of Thane.

Slowly, the six pallbearers carry the casket to a grave dug the day prior. At head of the grave is a simple gravestone, with the following inscription.

_Thane_

_Son of Thanos_

_An Avenger_

_Savior of the Multiverse_

The six pallbearers stop over the grave. They hold for a moment before slowly lowering the casket into the earth.

After a few moments, they turn and slowly file away back to their groups. Then, Wands steps forward. Using her magic, she lifts a small pile of dirt and moves it through the air before dropping it into the grave, then using her magic to smooth the ground over.

Finally, Nebula steps forward one more time, laying a single flower on her adoptive brother's grave. "Rest in peace, brother," she says before stepping back to where the rest of the Guardians wait for her.

Behind the Guardians, the other heroes and leaders all stare at the grave. Steve and Sam. Banner. Rhodey. Oliver and Natasha. Barry and Wanda. Pietro. Tony and Pepper, with Pepper holding Morgan. Thor, Valkyrie, Sif, and Loki. Dr. Strange and Wong. Morris. T'Challa, Shuri, and Okoye. Caitlin, Cisco, Joe, Ralph, Wally, Jesse, Harry, and Jay. Clint, Laura, and their kids. Bucky, Laurel, Diggle, Lyla, Rene, Vincent, Dinah, Roy, and Thea. Peter and his Aunt May. Scott, Hope, Hank Pym, and Janet van Dyne. Batman. Diana and Queen Hippolyta. Logan and Slade. Nyssa and Talia. Sara, Ray, Mick, Nate, Nora Darhk, Zari, Constantine, Mona, and Charlie. J'onn, Alex, James, and Brainy. Kara and Clark. Gypsy. Maria Hill. Carol. And lastly, Nick Fury.

Heroes and leaders from across the multiverse. All gathered to pay their respects to Thane.

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope you liked that quote right before the funeral scene. I thought it particularly appropriate. I honestly think that may on my list of Top 10 Favorite Quotes. It really drives home that there is no such thing as complete victory, as you're still going to lose people.**

**So, obviously, Thane is gone. I originally had him surviving, but I felt, as I was writing this story, to have give his life to stop Thanos. Honestly, there's not gonna be another threat that would need someone of his power until the Anti-Monitor or Kang, and there will be plenty of other heroes. Plus, I felt it fitting that after spending all his life either under his father's thrall or on the run from his father, that he is finally able to rest. I also hope I did the funeral scene alright. However, this may not be the last of Thane we see in the MACU. I may yet use him, either in flashbacks or through time travel, in one more story, probably _Crisis._**

**And, the New Avengers. Like Stephen explained, it's just these versions of themselves that are gone. We will still see the New Avengers in the future, but they will just be new versions of themselves who have lived happier lives.**

**Now, some of you may be wondering. Since the future the New Avengers come from no longer exists, what about Thawne? Honestly, I have no idea. I'm still figuring that out. I'm honestly probably not gonna use him again until I do Crisis on Infinite Earths (though not totally sure on that). I'll figure it out eventually, but for now, you're free to guess what's gonna happen with Thawne. You're even free to give me suggestions. And who knows, your suggestion may end up in the MACU!**

**I also have a question for you all. Who would you like to join the Guardians? Thor is still a candidate, but I would prefer he stay on Earth. Also, what would you like to see happen with Mjolnir?**

**Alright. Obviously we're on the home stretch. But, we've still got a few chapters. Three more to be exact. They'll be up within a week.**

**Well, until the next chapter, I hope you will all leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	32. Chapter 32- Fate of the Stones

**Alright. Back with another chapter. This is gonna be a short one, but important.**

**Let's get to it.**

**RhettTheWarrior1028:** I may very well do a Guardians/Legends crossover.

* * *

Chapter 32- Fate of the Stones

It's been three days since Thane's funeral in the ruins of the New Avengers Facility. Since then, some of those who attended the funeral have returned home, while all others have travelled to Wakanda to regroup and figure things out.

The heroes have been given the best quarters available in the capital city of Wakanda. While many are taking the time to explore the city and take in Wakanda, many have gathered in the palace for a very important council.

Around a large table in a room that is meant to serve as a military command center, T'Challa, Steve, Tony, Thor, Clint, Natasha, Dr. Strange, Barry, Oliver, Bucky, Sara, Constantine, Loki, Star Lord, Batman, Diana, Banner, Clark, Kara, Carol, Harry, and Cisco have all gathered for this council.

Steve opens the council by saying, "Well. I think we all know why we're here. After the events of the last week, I think we can all say that the future has rarely been so murky. But, I think we need to make some important decisions here. The first being what to do going forward. First of all, I want to issue an offer. Anyone who wants to is welcome to stay here and join the Avengers."

Tony speaks up. "That's gonna be even easier than before. Since the battle, the story has spread all over the world. People are realizing just how much trouble we'd be in had we waited to follow the Accords before doing what we did. Sixty nine of the 117 countries that signed the Accords have already declared their formal withdrawal of support for the Accords, with most of the others said to be considering it. A UN meeting is set to take place four weeks for now to discuss the Accords, and the most likely outcome is going to be the repealing of the Accords. Ross is of course fighting this with everything he's got, but he's getting no real traction, and there's even talk of removing him from his position of Secretary of State."

T'Challa then speaks up. "In addition, for those not interested in joining the Avengers, you are more than welcome to remain in Wakanda."

There is quiet for a moment, then Oliver says, "Well, that's one thing out of the way. But now, we have a much more important thing to discuss." With that, he and Steve duck under the table for a moment, then stand up while holding up seven boxes. They then set them down on the table and open the boxes, revealing the seven Infinity Stones.

The table is quiet for a few moments before Steve says, "We need to figure out what should be done with the Stones. It's clear how dangerous they are, and we need to make sure that they can't be used for an evil purpose like this again."

"Can't we just destroy them? I mean, didn't Wanda destroy one?" Cisco asks.

"It's not that simple, Cisco Ramon. The Infinity Stones have been here since the birth of the universe. They're an essential part of existence. Should they be destroyed, there's no telling what would happen," Loki explains. Cisco looks a little disappointed.

After a few more moments, Barry, in a voice still weaker than normal, says, "Well, I think there's only one thing to do. Only one way to keep the Stones from being gathered by any enemy. We need to split the Stones up across the multiverse."

"Really?" Star Lord asks.

"Makes sense. We're the only ones who would know which universes the Stones were all in, and not too many people can cross between universes anyway. They'd definitely be safe," Tony says.

There's quiet for a moment before Steve speaks up and says, "So, I guess the real question is…who's gonna take each Stone?"

"For centuries, the Masters of the Mystic Arts have protected the Time Stone. It will be coming with me," Dr. Strange says in a tone that leaves no room for argument. He reaches forward and picks up the box holding the Time Stone.

"The Space Stone has been a treasure of my people, and Thanos stole it from us. Asgard will protect the Space Stone," Thor says, picking up the box.

"Well, given that I'm a speedster, I think it would be safe if I take the Speed Stone," Barry says. Oliver grabs the Speed Stone's box and gives it to Barry.

"From what I've heard, the Power Stone can overwhelm most beings. It needs to be protected by someone powerful. I think I can protect it. It will be safe with me," Clark says as he reaches out and takes the Power Stone's box.

There's quiet for a moment, then Harry leans forward. "I'll take the Mind Stone back with me to Earth-2. It'll be safe there," he says confidently as he takes the Mind Stone's box.

There's another moment of quiet before Diana says, "I will take the Reality Stone back to Earth-1, and deliver it to Themyscira. It will be safe with the Amazons," taking the Reality Stone's box as she speaks.

"What about the Soul Stone?" Oliver asks as they all look at the final Stone.

"We could take the Stone and keep it on the Waverider. Nobody would get it that way," Sara suggests.

"No offense, Sara, but knowing you guys, you'd lose the Stone way too fast, or one of you would use it and mess up big time. Once again, no offense, but I think there's far safer options," Oliver says.

"Touche," Sara responds.

"Why not just return it to Vormir? The test to take the Stone is one most people wouldn't have the heart to carry out, or would even be able to carry out. The Soul Stone is one of the most dangerous of the Stones, and it needs to be well protected. I don't think there's a better place to hide it than on Vormir," Steve suggests.

"I agree," Oliver adds.

"I do too," Barry says. And slowly, the rest of the table nods or mutters their assent.

Carol then speaks up. "I'll take the job of returning the Soul Stone to Vormir," she says.

"Very well," Steve says.

The room is quiet for a moment, then Oliver speaks up. "I think we need to agree on something else. The Stones need to be kept separate. They should only be used sparingly as it is. And they should never all be brought together as a whole. We need to agree to not allow the Stones to be brought together again. Either by others…or by ourselves," he says seriously.

There's quiet for a moment before Steve says, "I second that."

"I agree too," Barry says.

The rest of the table voices their agreement. Then, Steve says, "Well, I see no more things to discuss. Unless someone else has something."

There is quiet. After several moments, Steve speaks up and says, "Well, then. I believe this council is over."

* * *

**And, I'll end there. I hope this was a good chapter.**

**So, obviously, the Stones have found their new homes. Three in Universe-99, two in Universe-1, one in Universe-2, and one in Universe-38. Since they are still intact (and by that, I mean not reduced to atoms), they will make more appearances through the MACU. And, despite the pact Oliver proposed, there maybe a point where all the Stones are gathered again.**

**Next chapter will be much longer, and should be up either tomorrow or the day after. Until then, leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	33. Chapter 33- Journey's End

**Alright. This chapter is gonna decide the fates of a number of our favorite heroes going into Phase 2. I hope you like what I do in this chapter.**

**Let's do this.**

**gammaxmen80: **Well, that's the beautiful thing about being a fanfiction writer. I can change stuff like that to fit my plotlines.

**Guest 1:** Cisco's already created extrapolators, so Earth-99 can still stay in contact with Earth-1. And yes, Lois was pregnant. She has since had the baby. And no, I don't plan on introducing _Agents of SHIELD_.

**Razy Riddle: **I already explained this earlier in the story. In this, there were seven Stones, including the Speed Stone, but the existence of the Speed Stone was known by so few that it was generally believed that there was only six Stones.

**Arrowverse Fan 217:** In order of your questions: 1) There kinda already has been in _Flash_: _Dark_ _Dimension_, but there very well may be another one. 2) The next story will not be my version of _Far From Home,_ and I may not do a modified version of _Far From Home_ at all. 3) Yes, my current plan is for the final MACU story to be _Crisis on Infinite Earths._

**AntBoy1: **We'll see them face Kang soon enough. Possibly at the end of Phase 2. We'll see the Suicide Squad again eventually, and maybe an Earth-1 hero team. Oliver and Black Widow are already a couple, so they will be in plenty of stories together. And the Fantastic Four will be introduced well before _Crisis on Infinite Earths._

* * *

Chapter 33- Journey's End

Steve and Oliver both look out over the city. The sun is now setting over Wakanda, turning the city into an even more beautiful sight than before.

For quite a while, the two stand there in silence. Then, Steve glances sideways at Oliver and says, "I have a favor to ask of you, Queen."

Oliver glances over at Steve. "Sure thing, Rogers. What do you need?" he asks.

Steve is quiet for a moment before he turns to Oliver. "I want you to take my place as the leader of the Avengers," Steve says.

Oliver turns to Steve, surprised. "Really?" he asks.

Steve nods, still looking out over the city. "I've had some time to think. And I'm going to go with Barry and the others when they go back to Earth-1," he says.

Oliver is quiet for a moment before he asks, "Why is that?"

Steve is quiet for a few moments, then says, "I've had some time to think. And I realized…this Earth doesn't need me anymore. There are plenty of heroes to protect it. And despite everything I've done, the views painted of me after the Accords are never going to fully go away. I'm never going to be the same hero to them as I used to be. Captain America used to stand for hope. Freedom. He doesn't carry that same symbolism anymore."

Steve pauses for a moment, then continues with, "I think it's time for me to start a new life. Get away from everything that's happened. Start fresh. Maybe bring hope to another world. And I think it would be nice to be a part of my goddaughter's life. I've though long and hard, and I think that Earth-1 is where my future belongs."

Oliver is quiet, then says, "I don't know if I'm the guy for leading a super team."

"For all intents and purposes, you've been my second in command throughout this whole thing. With Tony going back to his life with Pepper and Morgan, there's nobody I trust more to lead the Avengers," Steve responds.

Oliver looks at Steve for another moment, then looks back out over the city. It takes him a few moments before he says, "Alright. If you really want me…then I'm in."

Steve smiles, then turns to looking back out over the city with Oliver.

* * *

Diggle stares out over the city. He and Lyla have been touring the city together, and are now taking the time to watch the sunset.

"Dig." Diggle and Lyla turn around to see Oliver walking towards them.

"Hey, man," Diggle says with a smile, walking up to Oliver and giving him a quick hug. "Good to see you again, man," he says.

Oliver smiles back at him, then turns and nods to Lyla. He then looks at the two of them and says, "I've got something I want to talk to you two about."

Diggle and Lyla both raise their eyebrows. Oliver looks between them and says, "I thought you should know that future JJ was one of the New Avengers that came back with Nora and Stephen."

Diggle and Lyla look at him in surprise. "What?" Diggle asks. Oliver just nods to reinforce his point.

"Wait. Why wasn't he with the team?" Lyla asks.

"Because. He went with the team to take the Soul Stone. There was a test necessary to take the Stone. You had to lose someone you loved. JJ...he sacrificed himself so that they could take the Stone," Oliver explains.

Diggle and Lyla stare at Oliver in shock. Oliver smiles sadly and says, "He died a true hero. Without him, we wouldn't have gotten all the Stones. I just thought you ought to know." He then turns and walks away.

Diggle and Lyla just stand there for a moment, then turn to each other and embrace. They stare out at the Wakandan sunset, shedding a few tears over their brave son.

* * *

Thor smiles as he chats with Sif. Sif had found the Asgardians just a month before the Battle, and she and Thor have resumed their friendship.

Suddenly, a shuffling catches their ears. They turn, and see Loki, carrying a small bag with him, walking through past the room.

"Loki?" Thor asks, confused.

Loki turns to Thor. "What is it, brother?" he asks, a little tiredly.

"Wh-where are you going? Why do you have a bag with you?" Thor asks.

Loki smiles. "Asgard is destroyed. Thanos is defeated. My path is now free. I can do anything I wish. And now, I think I want a taste of real adventure," he says.

Sif and Thor both stare at him for a moment. Sif is about to say something against just letting Loki go free, but Thor speaks first.

"I see. Well, if this is truly what you want brother, then I will not stand in your way. But, I also cannot allow you to continue your mischief," Thor says.

"Oh, brother. I promise. Where I'm going, there will be no need to watch out for my mischief," Loki says slyly. Thor raises an eyebrow, but Loki doesn't elaborate.

"Very well, then, brother. I wish you well on your journey. And…I hope that you find what you're looking for. And I hope we see each other again," Thor says.

"I'm sure we will, brother," Loki says, holding out a hand. However, Thor chooses to embrace Loki. To Sif's surprise, although he does not respond, Loki does not try and break free either.

A moment later, Thor releases him. He looks at Loki and says, "Best of luck, brother." Loki nods, then slowly walks out of the room.

Thor stares after him. Then, Sif asks, "Why did you let him go?"

"Because. Loki has changed. You may think me delusional, but I truly think that Loki's words were genuine," he says.

Sif is quiet for a few moments, then says, "I do not trust Loki. But, I trust you, Thor."

"And I thank you for that, Sif," Thor responds.

* * *

Sara walks onto the bridge of the Waverider, Mick following behind her. The rest of the team has already gathered on the bridge.

"Alright, everybody! We're all here! And now that we've helped save the multiverse from Thanos, I think it's time we get back to protecting the timeline!" Ray says cheerfully.

"Well, Sara, where are we off to first?" Nate asks.

"Well, that's the thing guys," Sara says. Everyone turns to look at her, curious.

Sara looks around at them, then says, "That young man who could turn to ice and had ice powers that was a member of the New Avengers…he called himself Bobby Drake. But his real name is Robert. And…he's my son."

The whole team stares at Sara in shock. Finally, Nora manages to get out, "Wait. Your son?" Sara nods in response.

"Wait. When did you have a son?" Ray asks.

Sara is quiet for a moment, then says, "Back when the original team was with Rip, trying to stop Vandal Savage, we came to the Vanishing Point. While there, the Time Masters attempted to arrest us all. Me and Leonard Snart hid from the Time Masters on the ship. While we were hiding…we hooked up. At the time it meant nothing. But, after Leonard died…I felt that was us starting to admit our feelings to each other. In the weeks afterward, I started to feel a little sick and nauseous. After about a month, I realized what was going on. I had Gideon test me, and she told me I was pregnant."

Ray then pipes up. "Wait. A month after. So, when you took the Jumpship…?"

"Yes. After I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to do something. I felt the mission was too important, and I thought my life was the opposite of what a child needed. So, I took the jumpship, and lied to the team, saying I wanted to go visit my sister to get a little bit of closure. Instead, I travelled back to 2014, eight months before we left to join Rip in protecting the timeline. I found an old friend of mine from when I was in college. She took me in and helped me through the next eight months. Then, in May 2015, I gave birth to Robert. After a few days, I left him with my friend, and returned to the team. They had no way of knowing how long I'd really been gone, and I swore Gideon to secrecy about my pregnancy, and any temporal anomalies related to his birth and life."

"So, you just left Robert there?" Nate asks.

Sara sighs, looking ashamed, and says, "Yes. I thought it was more important to be a Legend and protect Time. And, I just thought I was the worst candidate for a mother. But, when I saw Robert, or Bobby, during the Battle, he told me he had never seen me, and he thought he would die without ever seeing me. Despite leaving him with my friend, I always intended to go back and see him, and try to be a part of his life to some degree. But, when he told me that…I can't explain it, but it broke my heart."

She pauses for a moment, then says, "So that's why I'm leaving the Legends."

Everyone stares at her in shock. Finally, Zari says, "But, you're our Captain."

"Not anymore," Sara says before turning to Ray. "Nate, you understand time better than any of us, and you know how the Waverider works. I'm appointing you to take my place."

"Sara…" Nate starts to say.

But Sara cuts him off. "No, Nate. I'm not going to hide from this any longer. My son has spent the first four years of his life without me. He grew up thinking I abandoned him. I'm not going to let that happen. The New Avengers made us promise we would make sure that the new versions of them would have happier lives. That includes Robert. I don't need to be a Legend right now. I need to be a mother," she says in a tone that leaves no room for argument.

The whole team is quiet for a while. Then, Ray says, "We're gonna miss you, Sara."

Sara smiles. "I know. And maybe one day, I'll come back. But not now. Now, my son needs me," she says. Then, she smiles even more, and says, "Plus. It's not like you'll be one person down."

Before the Legends have time to be confused, the door onto the bridge opens and Loki walks in. He looks around and says, "Well. I do have to say I'm impressed with the ship's construction."

Everyone stares at him, then back at Sara. "Really? Loki?" Nate asks.

"Thor seems to think he's alright. If the God of Thunder vouches for him, I'd say that's good enough. Plus, he's an outcast, like us," Sara says.

Everyone looks between Sara and Loki. Then, Ray says, "Alright. I'm game."

Sara smiles. "Well, then. If you guys won't mind dropping me off in Central City, I need to go see my boy," she says.

* * *

"So, what will you do when we return to Earth-1?" Diana asks Bruce as they walk together through the streets of the Wakandan capital.

"That's the thing, Diana. I'm not going back," Bruce responds nonchalantly.

"Really? Why?" Diana asks, a little less surprised that Bruce was expecting.

"I took to hiding back on Earth-1 because I felt there was nothing for me back in Gotham, and I needed to find my purpose. And I think I've found it here. Gotham has a new protector. It doesn't need me," Bruce says.

Diana is quiet, then nods. "I see. I can respect that. Still, I will miss you again, Bruce," she says.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll see each other again," Bruce responds. Diana smiles again, and the two continue their walk.

* * *

Barry and Wanda smile as they stand, looking out at the Wakandan sunset, their arms around each other.

"At last. Everything is back to normal," Wanda says softly.

"Do you honestly think there is such a thing as normal for people like us?" Barry asks.

"No," Wanda admits with a smile.

"Hey, Barry." The two turn and see Tony walking towards them.

"Hey, Tony," Barry responds.

The two stand there in silence for a moment. Then, Tony says, "Barry, after everything we've been through the last few weeks...I just wanted to apologize for everything I put the two of you through. The Accords were wrong. And I'm gonna do everything I can to guarantee they get repealed. I know that my apology can't make up for what I've done. But I hope it can begin to."

Barry is quiet for a moment, then smiles. "Tony...it's okay. It took me a while. But that's all in the past. I forgive you," he says. He then steps away from Wanda and carefully embraces Tony, who hugs Barry back, careful not to hug him too hard. After a few seconds, the two separate, and Barry puts his arm back around Wanda for support.

"Any time you guys want to...you two, and the twins, are welcome at my place," Tony says.

"Thanks, Tony. I'm sure we'll see you soon enough," Barry says. Tony nods, then slowly walks away.

The couple is quiet for a moment before Barry says, "Cap told me earlier he's coming back with us. Sam too. How do you feel about that?"

"I think they'll make an excellent addition to Team Flash," Wanda says.

"Well, they haven't decided that yet, so let's wait to get too excited," Barry says.

Wanda giggles a bit. Then, Barry asks, "Are you ready to finally settle down? Actually be parents together?"

"More than anything," Wanda says softly, turning and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Barry smiles, then turns down to give her a kiss on the lips as the Wakandan sun dips below the horizon.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked that chapter.**

**So, yes. Cap and Sam will be heading to Earth-1, Oliver will be leading the newest team of Avengers, Sara has left the Legends to raise Bobby, and Loki has joined the Legends. I considered making him the Captain, and am still open to altering this chapter if you guys would like that, but I felt Nate would be a good choice.**

**So, you now have the story of how Sara had Robert. I felt the time Sara and Snart were hiding on the Waverider in the Vanishing Point to be the best point for them to have hooked up. And now you know why nobody else knew about him. Also, yes, I do plan for Sara to return to the Legends at some point. Whether permanently or temporarily, and whether or not she'll bring Robert with her, remains to be seen. But she's not done with the Legends for good.**

**Let me know what paths you'd like to see Cap and Sam follow once they get to Earth-1.**

**Alright. Next chapter will be the last one of the story. Until it's up, leave a review, and stay tuned!**


	34. Chapter 34- A New Beginning

**Well. Here we go. The final chapter of this story. I'll save the closing message for after the chapter. For now, let's just get to the chapter.**

**Razy Riddle**: Yup, there will be crossovers between Earth-99 and Earth-1 plenty. And they can contact Earth-38, too. Thanks to the extrapolators.

**Guest 1:** The real confrontation between Wanda and Iris will be in the next story, which will be the new Team Flash taking down Cicada, but we'll get a little bit of Iris' negativity in this chapter. It's not quite as easy for Iris to attack Wanda because she's Barry's wife and the mother of their children, so it's not like she can expect to get Wanda to leave. But there will be a confrontation, which will probably result in Iris leaving the team. Iris hasn't put words in Nora and Stephen's heads quite yet, as they've been kinda sheltered with Barry since the Decimation, and they're still so young. As for who plays their older selves, Emma Stone portrays older Nora and Liam Hemsworth portrays older Stephen.

**Guest 2: **Clint is still living on Earth-1. And your idea about Steve is a very good one. Might just use it.

**Guest 3:** There's already ARGUS on Earth-1, so I don't know how Steve creating his own version of SHIELD would work. I have no plans to pair Sam with Felicity, as I'm not even sure I'm going to keep Felicity around.

**AntBoy1: **Barry and Wanda will still be in plenty of stories. And I have thought about Shazam once or twice, but not sure if I will yet. Maybe, but not decided yet.

**Cer1992: **Yes, the new protector of Gotham Bruce mentioned is Batwoman.

**Coolrod:** Dude, we get it. You're obsessed with Smallville and want us all to be too. News Flash. We won't if we don't want to. So do everybody a favor and stop leaving these hate reviews that aren't gonna do anything. If you're that desperate for _Smallville_ to be in my MACU, then wait a few years until I get to _Crisis on Infinite Earths_. I'll probably include _Smallville_ in my list of crossover worlds for that story. If you can't wait until then, then just stop reading this series.

* * *

Chapter 34- A New Beginning

Cecile and Iris wait patiently in the breach room, Iris glancing at the clock every few minutes while Cecile tries to keep Nora and Stephen entertained. Their arrivals said they would be here soon.

Then, at last, the breach opens in the middle of the breach room. A few moments later, Barry, Wanda, Caitlin, Cisco, Ralph, Joe, Pietro, Steve, and Sam emerge from the breach. Steve is no longer carrying Mjolnir, which he left with Thor.

"Dad!" Iris cries as she runs up and embraces Joe.

"Hey, baby. Don't worry. I'm alright. Gonna take more than aliens to kill me," Joe says, drawing a laugh from Iris.

Cecile immediately focuses on Wanda and smiles. "Wanda. I think you have some little ones who want to see you," she calls out.

Wanda beams and runs towards Cecile, and her son and daughter. As she gets close, Nora and Stephen see her and cry out in delight. Wanda reaches them and scoops them up in her arms.

"Oh, my children. I missed you," she cries as she kisses each of them on the forehead.

Everyone smiles at the reunion between a mother and her children, except Iris, who glares at Wanda as she sees the woman she's hated/been jealous of for several years for the first time. She wants so badly to just shout or scream at Wanda, and just give her the tongue lashing she's wanted to give her for years. But, before she can say anything, Cisco says, "Well, let's get up to the Cortex. We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

The Waverider sets down on the outskirts of Central City, immediately camouflaging.

The team gathers in the bay. Sara zips up her bag of belongings, throws it over her shoulder, then turns to face the rest of the Legends.

"I'm really gonna miss you guys. And like I said, I'll be back at some point. Just…not for a while," she says.

"It's okay, Sara. We understand. And we'll miss you too," Ray says.

"I'll give you three months before you're sick of it," Mick says, drawing a few glares.

"Ignore Mick," Zari says.

"Always do," Sara says with a smirk.

There's quiet for a moment, then Nate says, "Good luck, Sara."

"Thanks, Nate," she says. And with that she turns and walks out of the Waverider. She doesn't look back as the bay closes behind her, and the Waverider takes off.

Back on the bridge, the team has gathered again. There's quiet for a moment before Loki asks, "So. Where to first?"

Down on the ground, Sara hails a taxi. As the taxi drives to her friend's home, Sara finds herself more nervous than she's ever been, except for when she was in labor. She tries just some calm, slow breathing to calm herself down.

Finally, she reaches the house. Giving the taxi driver a tip, she hops out and walks up to the front door. It takes her a few moments before she knocks on the door.

After a wait that seems agonizingly long, the door opens, and Sara's old friend Hannah opens the door. Hannah's eyes widen at the sight of Sara.

"Sara! What are you doing here?" she exclaims.

"Hey, Hannah. I…I came back for Robert," she says.

Hannah freezes, looking a little shocked. Then, she manages, "Huh?"

"I…met somebody recently. And they made me realize I never should have abandoned Robert. I'm sorry for just kinda dumping him on you. But, now, I feel I'm ready to be a mother, and I want to be in his life," Sara says.

Hannah stands there for a moment, then starts to smile. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come around," she says. She then stands aside, allowing Sara into the house.

"You don't mind if I stay here for a few nights while I try and find a more permanent place, do you?" Sara asks.

"Not at all," Hannah responds.

"Where is he?" Sara asks.

"Upstairs in his room. Come on," Hannah replies before leading Sara up the stairs.

Sara follows her up the stairs, and they stop at the first door off of the stairs. Hannah gestures to the door with a smile.

Sara slowly walks into the room. In the middle of the room is a little boy, playing with a Star Wars Lego set. Just looking at him, she can see some of the features she saw in future Bobby.

"Robert?" she asks. And Robert turns to face her.

"Mommy?" he asks.

"You know who I am?" Sara asks in surprise.

"Hannah showed me pictures of you. You're my Mommy, right?" Robert responds.

"Yes, Bobby. I'm your mommy," Sara says.

"Where you been, Mommy? I missed you. Why you leave me?" Robert asks.

Sara feels a few tears come to her eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Mommy had something she needed to do. And…I got lost trying to find my way back to you. But, I'm here now, and I'm ready to be your mommy," she says.

Robert smiles. He jumps up from his Legos and runs over to Sara, throwing his arms around Sara. Sara begins to cry a little as she wraps her arms around her son.

* * *

Barry smiles as he looks around at his friends and family gathered in the Cortex. "I'm so glad that everybody is back. You all are the ones who gave me the strength I needed to get out of the rut I was in and face down Thanos," Barry says, his voice still a little weak.

"We may have given you strength, but you did the same for us, Barry," Caitlin says.

"After everything we've been through because of Thanos, I can see that this team is truly everything I could ask for in a team. In a family," Barry says. He then takes hold of Wanda's hand and says, "And that's why I know I can leave the city in your hands."

Everyone looks a little surprised. Finally, Joe asks, "What do you mean, Barry?"

Barry gives a bit of a sad smile. "Using the Stones had a big impact on me. I mean, my arm hurts whenever I move it, it's a little hard to breathe, and I feel constantly weak. Even my powers and all the blessings that come from a connection to the Speed Force weren't enough to help me against the power of the Stones. I'm in no shape to be the Flash."

He pauses for a moment, then says, "I'm not saying I'm done with being the Flash forever. I just need some time to fully heal. I feel confident that eventually, I'll heal. But, until then, I want to take a few steps back and just live the simple life." He then looks at Wanda for a moment, giving her a smile, before looking back at the rest of the team and saying, "And except for a few days, I've spent the last 3 years separated from Wanda. And both of us have missed some of Nora and Stephen's early years. We want to take some time and just… actually be able to live as a couple in peace and raise Nora and Stephen. I want to make sure that the future Nora and Stephen we met, the ones who lost their parents, don't have to exist." Nobody notices the flash of jealousy that crosses Iris' face as he says this.

A few moments pass before Ralph says, "But, Barry…Central City needs the Flash."

"They'll have one." Everyone turns to Pietro, who is starting to smile.

"I've finally gained access to the Speed Force. I'm as fast as Barry. Yes, I may not be as experienced, but I can do it. Plus, it's the least I can do to help my brother-in-law," Pietro says, finishing with a smirk.

Barry smiles appreciatively. "Thanks, Pietro. I know the city will be safe with you as it's guardian speedster," he says.

He then turns to Steve and Sam. "And what about you two?" he asks.

Steve and Sam look at each other before looking back at Barry. Then, Steve says, "At first, I wanted to move to Star City. Be near Bucky. But, Bucky has plenty of friends, and Laurel, over there. Plus, with being both the Winter Soldier and the Deputy Mayor, I'm sure he's got enough on his plate. So, I think I'm gonna stay here."

"And wherever he goes, I follow," Sam says.

Steve looks at Joe. "Me and Sam actually wanted to ask, Joe. Any chance you've got some openings at CCPD?" he asks.

Joe smiles brightly. "You bet," he says.

"And in the meantime, I'm sure you guys could use some help," Sam says.

Cisco grins. "Well. Welcome to Team Flash, Captain America and Falcon," he says cheerfully.

* * *

(Barton home)

"So, you're done being Hawkeye?" Laura asks Clint.

"Yeah. For a while. After everything, I need to put that life behind me. I'm not gonna leave the CCPD, cuz I need a job, but my time as Hawkeye is finished," Clint says.

Laura smiles a bit and says, "And yet, when your friends really need you, you'll race back to help them."

Clint looks at her in surprise. Laura just laughs and says, "It's okay, honey. No matter what you try, Hawkeye will always be a part of you."

Clint smiles and kisses her. "I love you," he says.

* * *

(Star City)

Bucky wrings his hands a bit, looking around at the rest of his team, including Thea, Roy, Nyssa, and Slade.

"Well. After everything that's happened…I'm not sure what to say. I'm not quite sure how we can all get back into this," Bucky says.

Laurel smiles comfortingly as she takes his hand. "One step at a time, that's how. And we'll do it together," she says.

Bucky smiles at Laurel. Then, Slade speaks up and says, "Well, I'm sure you can all figure this out. You're a capable man, Barnes." He then turns to Roy, Thea, and Nyssa, and says, "Well, shall we be on our way?"

They all nod. Slade looks back at Bucky and says, "We'll report back as we find leads on HYDRA. Until then…good luck."

Bucky nods. Slade returns it before leading his team out of the lair.

Bucky looks around at everybody. Then, he smiles and says, "Well, team. Let's get to work."

* * *

(Allen home, outside Central City)

"Wow. This is a beautiful place," Wanda says as she gets out of the car.

Barry smiles as he climbs out of the passenger seat. "Yes. I got lucky and managed to find it not long after the Decimation. The previous owner was a widower, and when he heard how I lost you in the Decimation, he gave me a really good price for it. Tony helped me out a little bit financially to pay for it after he heard what happened, and heard that Pepper was expecting. He said he wanted to give me a good place to raise my children," he explains.

Wanda smiles. "Well, then, I'm excited to raise our children here together," she says.

"Mr. Allen," a voice calls out. Barry turns to face the voice, and sees an old man with white hair and slight white mustache, wearing dark glasses, standing a few feet away.

Wanda looks at him curiously. "Who are you?" she asks.

"Oh. Wanda, this is the man who sold me the farm. Mr. Lee," Barry says.

"Oh. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lee," Wanda says.

"I assume this is your wife," Mr. Lee says.

"Yes, she is," Barry says, kissing her on the cheek.

"Well, it's so nice to see you so happy, Mr. Allen. Ms. Horton told me you were coming back, and I just wanted to come meet your wife, and check up on how well you're doing. I need to be going now. But it was nice to meet you, Mrs. Allen," Mr. Lee says before turning and walking back to his car before driving away.

Wanda smiles after him. "He was nice," she says.

"Yeah. He's a nice guy. And now that I think of it, I think I've seen his doppelganger on Earth-99," Barry says.

Wanda is quiet for a moment, then says, "Well, do you want to show me our first house?"

"Of course. Let's get the kids out, and we'll all do it together," Barry says.

Wanda smiles brightly. She walks around the car and gives Barry a kiss before going to get Stephen out of his car seat, while Barry gets Nora out of her car seat. The two adults then set down the two toddlers, and together, the family walks into their home.

* * *

(Earth-99)

Oliver looks at the screen in front of him, where Carol is visible. "Thank you for helping relocate the Soul Stone, Danvers. Will we be seeing you back on Earth anytime soon?" he asks.

"Not likely, Oliver. Like I told you, there are plenty of planets that don't have heroes like you. I'm gonna be travelling for a while. But, I'll try and keep from staying away too long," she responds.

"Alright. Good luck," Oliver says. Carol smiles a bit and nods before hanging up.

Oliver stands there for a moment. Then, he hears footsteps behind him, before he hears Natasha say, "You want to keep staring at that wall, or do you want to get down to work?"

Oliver turns around and smiles at her. He walks up to her and gives her a kiss before saying slyly, "Depends on what you mean by that."

Natasha smirks. "We can address that later. For now, we've got something else to take care of," she says.

Oliver nods. "You know, this is kind of weird for me. I may have lead a secret team of vigilantes for a long time, but I haven't led a team of heroes like this before," he says.

Natasha smiles. "You'll do fine. You're a leader, Oliver," she says.

Oliver smiles. He then reaches his hand out, summoning his bow from across the room. He smiles, then starts walking towards the hangar.

"So, how are we looking?" Oliver asks.

"Well, we may not be the super team that stopped Thanos. But I think we've got some good players," Natasha says.

"Maybe. But they're not a real team yet," Oliver says.

"Well, let's beat 'em into shape," Natasha says.

Oliver throws open the doors to the hangar, and he and Natasha walk into the hangar. Below them, on the floor of the hangar, Rhodey lands and his face mask retracts. A moment later, Scott and Hope both grow into view. Logan turns to look at them, his claws extended. Bruce turns towards them, a look of excitement on his face for the first time in a while. And finally, Wally races up in a flash of lightning, grinning broadly.

Oliver looks out over his new team. Smiling proudly, he says those words he heard Steve say not too long ago.

"Avengers…Assemble!"

* * *

**Alright. And with that, the final chapter comes to an end.**

**So, the newest Avengers are now formed. And when I said Bruce, I mean Batman. Yes, Batman has joined the Avengers. Given that Batwoman is active in Gotham by now, I figured there wasn't too much of a reason to bring Batman back. And I thought it would still be nice to have a speedster on the Avengers. And since I decided to have Pietro take Barry's place as the head of Team Flash, I decided to have Wally be the new Avengers speedster. Given he spent some time away from Team Flash, I thought he wouldn't mind the change of scene. Also, for reference, their new base is a new facility in New York.**

**I hope you liked my Stan Lee cameo. I realized when I was getting to the end of the story that I hadn't included one yet, and I was trying hard to think of a way. I decided this chapter would be my best chance. I thought of having him be Sara's taxi driver, but I decided having him be the one who sold Barry his farm was better.**

**Then, regarding the fate of Steve and Sam. Yes, Steve and Sam will both be helping Team Flash. They may end up becoming partners at CCPD.**

**Also, I have gotten reviews about Wanda meeting Iris, as I mentioned at the start of this chapter in my review answers. I kept it limited in this because I didn't want to get into that. As I mentioned at the start, the story covering the final defeat of Cicada will feature the real confrontation between Iris and Wanda. Also, just for clarification, my plan includes writing Iris out of the series during Phase 2. She may make a cameo every once in a while after I write her out. But, by the end of Phase 2, Iris will no longer be part of the MACU.**

**So, Pietro is now the speedster of Team Flash. I'm debating whether he or Cisco should be the official team leader. Barry will rejoin the team soon enough. He just needs some time to heal from using the Gauntlet, and just wants to take some time to be a normal family with Wanda and the twins. Also, just so you guys know, Barry and Wanda will be having an Earth-1 wedding (since their wedding on Earth-99 isn't exactly valid on Earth-1), and that wedding will be the premise for my version of _Crisis on Earth-X_.**

**Well. I think it's about time to end. But first…our final mid credits scene of Phase 1.**

* * *

Logan walks slowly through the forest of Up-State New York. Today, the team was given a day off, and he had taken a trip to Upstate New York to just relive some old memories.

As he walks along the road, he spots a fence up ahead, at the start of a long driveway. Logan walks up to it, and starts walking past it, then freezes. His eyes lock on the gate, which bears the symbol on an X.

His heart starts to beat faster as he realizes where he is. Looking around, he starts recognizing the landscape. He then turns to the gate, then leaps over the gate and starts running down the driveway.

Soon, a large building appears up ahead through the trees. A very familiar building to him. As he approaches the building, Logan sees a sign he hasn't seen in decades.

_Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters_

Logan races into the building, stopping short, looking around. The place has hardly changed in decades. Wondering if his old friend is still here, he hurries up the stairs to where he remembers that office to be, passing several children who look at him in surprise at his sudden appearance. When Logan reaches the office door, he knocks on the door hard, but gets no response.

Logan knocks again, and gets nothing. Then, as he's about to just open the door, he hears a voice behind him ask, "Logan?"

Logan turns around. And sure enough, his old friend, Charles Xavier, is in his wheelchair, just a few feet away. As he sees Logan's face, Xavier smiles.

"Well, well. You're alive," Xavier says.

"Professor. So are you," Logan responds.

"I am now. I was a victim of Thanos, but I was restored with everyone else," Xavier responds. He looks Logan up and down, then says, "I understand you are an Avenger now."

"Yeah," Logan responds.

Xavier is quiet for a moment, then gestures towards the door to his office. "Why don't you come inside, Logan? We have much to talk about," he says.

* * *

**BOOM! There we go. The introduction of the X-Men has begun. For those wondering, in the MACU, Charles Xavier will be portrayed by Mark Strong.**

**So yes, the X-Men will be introduced on Earth-99. There may be other versions of the X-Men we'll see on other Earths, but the main X-Men team we'll see in this series will be from Earth-99. They may not make an appearance as a team until Phase 3, but I'll introduce a few more members in Phase 2, and I may choose to advance my plans and bring them in for the final story of Phase 2.**

**Now, Wolverine may join the X-Men at some point. But, for now, he'll stay an Avenger. He will be affiliated with both teams though before the MACU ends.**

**So, with this story, Phase 1 of the MACU comes to an end. Phase 2 is already in the works. I have several stories already planned out. I won't spoil them, but one will be my version of Crisis on Earth-X, and another one will be my introduction to the Fantastic Four. I'm still planning it, but it may include more stories than Phase 1 did. I plan for the MACU to have 4 or 5 phases, and to end most likely with Crisis on Infinite Earths (for those wondering, Galactus will probably appear as the main villain of the second to last Phase, which will either be Phase 3 or Phase 4, depending on whether I do 4 or 5 Phases). Also, I will confirm that Taskmaster, who will be officially introduced at the start of Phase 2, will be a recurring character throughout the series. Also, I probably won't include the Eternals yet, because I know nothing about them. I will wait until after seeing the movie before deciding what to do in the MACU with the Eternals.**

**However, I haven't yet finished planning out Phase 2. Also, I have been spending almost all my time on the MACU. So, after this, I will be taking a break before starting Phase 2. I'm gonna be spending my time on my Hobbit-Avengers crossover, my Harry Potter WWIII story, my two Descendants crossovers, and my new Star Wars stories (go check those out if you haven't already). But, I promise that the first story of Phase 2, whichever it will be, will be started sometime between November 1 and Thanksgiving. I will post a notice to this story when I have it posted.**

**Well, we have come to the end. The end of this story, and the end of Phase 1 of the MACU. I have enjoyed writing this more than I can say, and in a way I'm sad it's over. But, we have a long way to go. The MACU is far from complete. I hope you are all looking forward to Phase 2. Until then, leave a review and give me your final thoughts on this chapter and this story. And stay tuned!**

**Raptor2216 signing off.**


	35. First MACU Phase 2 stories are up!

**Hey, everybody. I'm back with a notice. Phase 2 has begun!**

**Over the last few days, I have posted the first three stories of Phase 2. The first is _Fall of Cicada_, which will be a shorter story that will show the final defeat of Cicada, and the inevitable showdown between Iris and Wanda.**

**The second is called _Family Reunion in Star City_. It's just a one-shot showing Sara introducing Robert to Quentin.**

**The third is _The Rise of HYDRA_. It will be centered around Bucky and Team Arrow, and will feature Taskmaster, along with some other new villains. That's one I'm particularly excited by, as Taskmaster will be a re-occurring character in the MACU.**

**Go check them all out, keep up with the updates, and keep reading my future stories!**


	36. Update- Crisis on Earth-X story is up!

**Hey, everybody. I am posting this notice to let you know that I have finally posted the MACU's version of Crisis on Earth-X. It's rather simply titled "Avengers: Crisis on Earth-X". I will try and update as frequently as I can, but I start my next semester of college on Monday, and this semester will be far busier, so I may not be able to update quite as frequently as in the past.**

** I hope you will go follow it. I'm really excited for it, and hope you all are too.**

**Thanks for your continued support!**

**-Raptor2216**


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